Alcaraz downs Khachanov to reach Madrid semis

Agency :
World number two Carlos Alcaraz stayed on course for his fourth title of 2023 by powering into the semi-finals of the Madrid Open with a 6-4, 7-5 win over Russian Karen Khachanov on Wednesday.
Defending his title from last year, Alcaraz will be looking to celebrate his 20th birthday on Friday with a win against either Croatian Borna Coric or surprise German qualifier Daniel Altmaier in his sixth Masters 1000 event semi-final.
Alcaraz managed to break the Russian’s serve in the seventh game, closing the first set 6-4.
However, the Spaniard began the second set a little distracted and allowed Khachanov to open up a 4-1 lead before he woke up to fight back and win the match in under two hours.
“Winning this match gives me a lot of confidence,” Alcaraz said.
“Karen had been playing at a high level and took me to the limit, it was decided by small details.”