A fellow Masters 1000 champion stands in Carlos Alcaraz’s way of a final spot at the Mutua Madrid Open, but it’s not anyone that tennis fans would have expected.
Borna Coric had won only three matches at ATP tournaments in 2023 prior to arriving in Madrid, but it has all turned around for him this fortnight–just as it did last summer in Cincinnati. The reigning Western & Southern Open winner is back in fine form with victories over Hugo Gaston, Hubert Hurkacz, Alejandro Davidovich Fokina (in a third-set tiebreaker) and Daniel Altmaier.
Coric’s reward is a first-ever showdown with Alcaraz, who is the defending champion in Madrid and is bidding for his fourth Masters 1000 title overall. The Spaniard, set to celebrate his 20th birthday on Friday, has kicked off his title defense by beating Emil Ruusuvuori, Grigor Dimitrov, Alexander Zverev, and Karen Khachanov. Ruusuvuori took a set off Alcaraz, but no one else even pushed the top seed to a tiebreaker.
“He’s absolutely an unbelievable player in unbelievable shape in the moment, as well,” Coric said of his upcoming opponent. “So he’s the favorite and I’m going to just go out there and I’m going to enjoy himself. I like to play here in this stadium and it’s going to be a very cool feeling, for sure.”
Coric will be on defense from start to finish in this match, which is especially problematic in fast conditions at high altitude. Even though the 20th-ranked Croat will benefit from a quick match against Altmaier and a day off in between rounds, he will still be feeling a three-hour and 28-minute war with Davidovich Fokina in his legs. That isn’t ideal heading into a date with Alcaraz.
Since his scare against Ruusuvuori, the world No. 2 has looked unstoppable. There is no reason to think anything will change in the semis.
Pick: Alcaraz in 2
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