INDIAN WELLS: Two-time defending champion Carlos Alcaraz fought off determined challenger Francisco Ceru­ndolo 6-3, 7-6 (7-4) on Thursday to reach the semi-finals of the Indian Wells ATP Masters.

On another cold, blustery night in the California desert, Alcaraz battled back from 1-4 down in the second set, coming up with a break and two love service holds to force the tiebreaker as he kept his bid to join Roger Federer and Novak Djokovic as the only men to win three straight Indian Wells titles on track.

Alcaraz had to save break points in each of his first three service games.

But after an emphatic hold for 4-3 he gained the first break of the contest with a deft volley and just like that he was serving for the first set.

After sliding to pop a drop volley winner over the net for set point Alcaraz drilled a deep forehand that Cerundolo could barely get a racquet on.

But it was Cerundolo who broke first in the second, finally converting his ninth break point of the match then holding for 4-1.

But he couldn’t hold off the world number three, who raced to a 5-2 lead in the tiebreaker on the way to victory.

“It was really difficult for me to start the match,” said Alcaraz, who looked less comfortable in the windy weather than he did just a day before.

“He got a lot of chances in the first set,” Alcaraz said. “I’m just pleased about saving all of them and taking the only one that I had.

“I didn’t hit the ball as clear as yesterday, but I just did what I had to and that’s what it’s about.”

Alcaraz next faces Britain’s Jack Draper, who reached his first Masters 1000 semi-final with a 6-4, 7-5 victory over American Ben Shelton.

Draper took the opening set with one break of serve then rallied from 0-3 down in a second-set slug-fest.

Shelton’s 32 unforced errors included five double-faults — including one to hand Draper a break for 6-5 in the second.

Russian Daniil Medvedev, runner-up to Alcaraz each of the past two years, rallied from a break down in a wild, wind-blown final set to beat Arthur Fils 6-4, 2-6, 7-6 (9-7).

The world number six booked a semi-final meeting with Denmark’s Holger Rune, a 5-7, 6-0, 6-3 winner over Tallon Griekspoor.

Medvedev, a six-time Grand Slam finalist, trailed 20-year-old Fils 2-4 in the third set of a compelling clash that was momentarily paused as gusting winds sent towels and trash cans flying on Stadium Court.

France’s Fils had shown admirable maturity in the face of Medvedev’s formidable defensive skills.

He cut down on the unforced errors that marred his first set to win the second with ease and maintained his poise as he erased an early break in the third to seize the lead.

But Medvedev wouldn’t be denied and after forcing the tiebreaker prevailed on his third match point when Fils pushed a backhand volley long.

Medvedev, who had won just one of his past nine third-set tiebreakers, gave a leap of sheer joy after securing the win in 2 hours and 25 minutes to keep alive his bid for a first title since 2023 — when he won five.

“I lost a lot of tight matches this year where I could have won, should have won maybe,” Medvedev said. “I have lost a lot of tight matches where it goes a little bit 50-50 and the more it goes like that, the more you can lose confidence in the tight moments.

“I was happy I was able to get over the line as he saved some match points and had a break lead in the third. I am just happy to win.” Medvedev faces another young gun in Rune, who burst onto the scene in 2022 with a win over Novak Djokovic in the Paris Masters final.

Rune has struggled often since, but after dropping the first set he dominated Griekspoor, the 43rd-ranked Dutchman who had ousted top-seeded Alexander Zverev in the second round.

Published in Dawn, March 15th, 2025