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In a highly anticipated showdown, Carlos Alcaraz will face off against tennis ace Novak Djokovic in the finals of the Western & Southern Open in Cincinnati. This duel serves as a gripping encore to their last face-off at Wimbledon final. The tennis world watched in awe as the top-seeded Alcaraz showcased sheer determination to fend off a match point in the second set, eventually securing a victory against the unseeded Hubert Hurkacz with scores of 2-6, 7-6 (4), 6-3 during Saturday’s first men's semifinal. Following suit, second-ranked Djokovic claimed victory over Alexander Zverev, the 2021 tournament champion, with 7-6 (5), 7-5, sealing his place in the U.S. Open preparatory event final, aiming for his third title.
Drawing attention to Alcaraz's resilience, he recounted a streak of six consecutive points in the second-set tiebreaker, propelling him to his season's eighth final. The Wimbledon victory against Djokovic stands testament to Alcaraz's prowess, where he clinched his second major title, leaving Djokovic, at 36, one title short of 23 major championships.
On the women's front, the dynamic Coco Gauff achieved a notable upset by defeating top-seeded Iga Swiatek with a 7-6 (2), 3-6, 6-4 scoreline. Gauff's finals opponent is set to be Karolina Muchova, who secured a win against the second seed Aryna Sabalenka with a score of 6-7 (4), 6-3, 6-2.
The 20-year-old Alcaraz's journey to the final is remarkable, marking him as the youngest Cincinnati finalist since Pete Sampras's entry at the age of 19 back in 1991. Eying to break another record, Alcaraz is in contention to be the youngest champion since Boris Becker’s triumph at 17 in 1985. Despite his exhaustive matches this week, Alcaraz's spirit remains undeterred. He affirmed, “It doesn’t matter if I’m playing third sets or long matches, I’m recovering really well. I feel like I’m going to play the first match of the tournament. I feel great.”
Shedding light on his matchup with Hurkacz, Alcaraz mentioned, “Playing against Hubert is always tough. We played until the final ball. I was really happy to get that win today. He’s one of the best servers in the tour.” On the other hand, Djokovic's entry into the finals brands him as the oldest Cincinnati finalist in the professional era since 1968.
In Gauff's journey, she voiced her feelings after her victory over Swiatek, stating, “It feels really good. It shows that I can be at that level, or compete at that level at least. I'm sure I'm going to face her many more times. I still think that I’m not even to the peak of my game.” Swiatek graciously acknowledged Gauff's talent, confessing, “Today I fought to the end. Coco, she's a great player. This one, she deserved it more. My tank of fuel is pretty empty. I'm happy to have some days off.” This tournament highlights Gauff as the fourth teenager to reach the Cincinnati final in the professional era, with the previous title claimed by a teenager being 17-year-old Linda Tuero in 1968.
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