Erratic Alcaraz battles through in Cincinnati opening match
CINCINNATI: Carlos Alcaraz had to fight his way out of a second-set slump on Sunday to escape with a 6-1, 2-5, 6-3 victory over Damir Dzumhur in his opening match at the ATP-WTA Cincinnati Open. The Spaniard, playing his first tournament since a runner-up finish to Jannik Sinner at Wimbledon, raced through the first set but completely lost his way in the second set, dropping his serve twice against the 33-year-old Bosnian. But he regained his intensity — and cut down his errors, in the third. Alcaraz fired his seventh ace to set up a match point and advanced to the third round seconds later as his opponent fired wide. Alcaraz, seeded second claimed his 12th consecutive match at the Masters 1000 level after titles in Monte Carlo and Rome. “It was a relief to get this win,” Alcaraz said after committing 44 unforced errors.