Kecmanovic

Playing perhaps the most inspired tennis of his nascent career, Carlos Alcaraz was put to the test against Miomir Kecmanovic in the Miami Open quarterfinals ...

With the crowd relishing every minute of this electric match, neither man was able to obtain a break point in the final set. Not one to be deterred, Alcaraz upped his intensity in the second set. However, his Spanish opponent showed his grit and remained poised to break back, before sealing victory with a backhand winner.

Carlos Alcaraz wins a third-set tie-break to edge Miomir Kecmanovic in the quarter-finals of the 2022 Miami Open presented by Itau.

After some early miscues, the Spaniard locked in early in the second set as he turned the tables on his opponent to take a 3-0 lead of his own. But after racing through the opening three games of the match and recovering a late mini-break in the opening tie-break, the Serb could not get over the line against the all-action Alcaraz. "The rest of the match I'm trying to hit the ball hard to push the opponent off the baseline," he said of his strategy to set up those delicate change-ups. But he was brave and bold at the crucial moments, winning the final four points of the match and sealing the deal in spectacular fashion with a pushed passing shot on the dead run. Alcaraz's imprint on the match was highlighted by his 52/40 winners-to-unforced-errors count as he looked for every opportunity to attack. Alcraz was two points from defeat at 4-5, 15/30, and again at 5/3 in the tie-break, where he twice trailed by a mini-break.

Carlos Alcaraz edged Miomir Kecmanovic in three gripping sets to reach the semifinals in Miami. The list of impressive accolades continues to grow for Carlos ...

He has the passion. He has all the ingredients. Alcaraz has been quite the story in 2022.

Carlos Alcaraz outlasts Miomir Kecmanovic in a three-set thriller at the Miami Masters on Thursday. Alcaraz advances to the semi-finals.

“I think the atmosphere that I lived today and this match was unbelievable,” Alcaraz commented. “I think (it was) the best atmosphere that I have lived on these courts, for sure. Alcaraz faced a 15-30 deficit serving at 4-5 and eventually trailed 3-5 in the tiebreaker.