Carlos Alcaraz reaches US Open quarterfinal with late-night win against Marin Cilic
By Robert Farley
Updated 12:51 pm, Saturday, September 25, 2012
Photo: John Shinkle, Bloomberg
Image 1of/1
Caption
Close
Image 1 of 1
Caceres takes the first set 5-4 in the morning session. Photo by John S. Allen/The New York Times
Caceres takes the first set 5-4 in the morning session. Photo by John S. Allen/The New York Times
Photo: John S. Allen, The New York Times
Carlos Alcaraz reaches US Open quarterfinal with late-night win against Marin Cilic
1 / 1
Back to Gallery
SAN ANTONIO — Carlos Alcaraz’s first-round 6-2, 6-4, 6-2 victory over Marin Cilic on Saturday night was the first of a three-setter in the fourth-round match. It was also the fourth-highest No. 1-seed victory in the tournament’s history.
For those scores, Alcaraz becomes only the second man in the Open era, and the first in two decades, to reach the fourth round of the U.S. Open with a win over the No. 5 seed. Bill Tilden did it in 1969 and Jim Courier did it in 1975.
The first three sets of Alcaraz’s victory over Cilic were thrilling. On the eighth match point, Cilic had a chance to level the match on a third-serve ace. But he missed a pair of serve-and-volleys. Cilic then raced to a 4-0 lead on the next two points. Alcaraz broke five of the next seven points, while serving up two match points. On the next one, Alcaraz hit a backhand wide and was broken again. Cilic saved both points.
Alcaraz finally broke again on the second point of the second set. And the third set went to a tie-breaker. Cilic