Up-And-Down Day For Alcaraz

No. 2 seed aims to improve after erratic start in Cincinnati; Gauff ousts Wang

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CINCINNATI - Carlos Alcaraz fought through a second-set slump to post a "roller-coaster" 6-1, 2-6, 6-3 victory over Damir Dzumhur in his opening match of the Cincinnati Open on Aug 10.

The Spaniard, playing his first tournament since losing to Jannik Sinner in the Wimbledon final, raced through the first set but completely lost his way in the second, dropping his serve twice against the 33-year-old Bosnian.

But Alcaraz regained his intensity and cut down on his errors in the third, as a seventh ace took him to a match point that was converted when Dzumhur fired wide.

"It was just a roller coaster," said the second seed, who won his 12th straight match at the Masters 1000 level after clinching the Monte Carlo and Rome titles.

"Lots of good feelings, bad feelings, back to the good ones. I am happy to get the win at the end. I know that I have chances to do better."

Alcaraz committed 44 unforced errors and said conditions in Cincinnati, where he was runner-up in 2023, were always tricky.

"The ball flies a lot, goes super fast," said the 22-year-old, who has reached the finals of his last six tournaments. "You have to be ready to be in a good position for each shot and that is really difficult to do."