Carlos Alcaraz to CNN: ‘I’m playing unbelievable tennis’ on clay
The Spanish, who won his first Grand Slam title at the Australian Open in January, was leading 6-4 1-0 in the fifth set, but pulled it together to tie the score. The match was delayed when the umpire was unable to see the ball.
“I feel sorry for him. I want to be on the court,” the Spaniard said, according to the news agency.
When the ball came to him, Alcaraz’s reaction was different from his typical exuberance. He was “tearing up” and “wanted to cry,” he said.
The Spaniard has played in only two matches in which his team made the final. He’s had mixed results on clay. He said he had felt “at ease” against Colombia’s Andrés Gómez earlier this year.
“I’m playing unbelievable tennis, and it’s amazing that I can play against great players like him or any of them,” Alcaraz said.
Earlier Saturday, No. 1 Roger Federer won the Monte Carlo Masters and led by 6-1, 3-1, after coming back from a 1-5 first set deficit.
It was the seventh time in his career he has won both the Monte Carlo and Miami Masters, the latter with six titles. He has not lost a major title on clay.
Federer advanced to a second straight U.S. Open semifinal with a win over Tommy Haas of Germany on Saturday. He reached the last four at the tournament for the second straight year. After losing the first set, the Swiss showed no ill effects from the surgery he had in his right elbow four days earlier.
“I was in a lot of pain, but I played pretty good,” said Federer. “It was a good experience for me because I was not playing well before. I’ve been working on my game and