CINCINNATI: Novak Djokovic crushed Taylor Fritz while Carlos Alcaraz had to push hard to get past Max Purcell Friday as the top two seeds reached the semi-finals at the ATP/WTA Cincinnati Open.

Tournament number two Djokovic showed no mercy against Fritz, hammering the top American 6-0, 6-4 to improve to 7-0 against him.

Djokovic converted on all five break point opportunities to flummox Fritz in a clinical performance, sending over 13 winners while making few mistakes.

“I managed to get out of the blocks with a flawless start,” the Serb star, who next faces German Alexander Zverev, said. “I started the second set poorly, handing him the break. But from 2-4 down I played four solid games, overall it was a great performance. I’ve played three good matches here so far, every day I raise the bar a bit higher.”

Zverev, the 2021 Cincy champion, beat France’s Adrian Mannarino 6-2, 6-3 to reach his first Masters semi-final since Rome last year —before a horror ankle injury in Paris ended his 2022 campaign.

Alcaraz ended Australian qualifier Purcell’s dream run with a 4-6, 6-3, 6-4 win.

The 70th-ranked Purcell has produced some of the best tennis of his career recently and at the US Open tune-up event he took down French Open finalist Casper Ruud and three-time Grand Slam winner Stan Wawrinka of Switzerland.

But Alcaraz’s superb form was too much to overcome as the twice Grand Slam winner kept his cool after a frustrating opening set, unleashing 30 winners in the match on Centre Court.

“He ([impressed] me a lot. His game is pretty good. Serve really well. Volley pretty well, as well. It was really tough for me,” Alcaraz told reporters.

The win set up a semi-final with Poland’s Hubert Hurkacz, who sent over 10 aces and never faced a break to get past Australian lucky loser Alexei Popyrin 6-1, 7-6 (10/8).

In the WTA draw, Iga Swiatek beat Czech 10th seed Marketa Vondrousova 7-6 (7/3), 6-1 to reach the semi-finals, as Coco Gauff downed Italy’s Jasmine Paolini 6-3, 6-2 and Aryna Sabalenka beat an ailing Tunisian fifth seed Ons Jabeur 7-5, 6-3.

World number one Swiatek, who raised her game at the key moments, broke the Wimbledon champion five times and saved four of six break points to seal victory in 91 minutes, in a clash between the last two Grand Slam winners.

The Polish star will play for a place in the final against seventh-seeded American Gauff — who tossed a racquet in anger on the way to victory over Italian qualifier Paolini.

Unseeded Czech Karolina Muchova needed just 11 minutes on court to reach the semis as compatriot Marie Bouzkova retired from their match with right leg strain while trailing 3-0.

Muchova now faces Belarusian second seed Sabalenka, whom she beat in the Roland Garros semi-final earlier this year.

Published in Dawn, August 20th, 2023