The Spaniard loses in two sets in the quarterfinals against an excellent version of the Bulgarian
MADRID, 29 Mar. (EUROPA PRESS) –
The Spanish tennis player Carlos Alcaraz lost (6-2, 6-4) against the Bulgarian Grigor Dimitrov this Thursday in the quarterfinals of the Miami tournament, the second Masters 1,000 of the season, an unexpected and forceful goodbye for the recent Indian Wells champion.
The Murcian said goodbye to the ‘Sunshine Double’ in Florida, after winning two Sundays ago in California, on the verge of repeating last year’s semifinal. Dimitrov, a former world number three and Master in 2017, entered bravely and took out of the match an Alcaraz who had advanced without opposition in Miami.
The Bulgarian commanded from the beginning and remained calm when the Spaniard threatened with the comeback. The match started even but Alcaraz did not take advantage of four break balls and found himself 4-1 down. Dimitrov went up to the net and cut off the Murcian’s rhythm, unable to change the inertia with no margin (6-2).
The world number two varied as much as he could and the match became calm, until the Bulgarian struck again first with a break in the fourth game, thus leading to another 4-1. He then appeared as the tennis player who won in Indian Wells, who once again intimidated in his thirst for titles and to return to the top of the ranking.
Alcaraz started what looked like an epic comeback, but it remained at 4-4. Dimitrov did not back down any further and, with 5-4 and the rest, went on the attack to claim the prize for his return to the highest level last year. The Bulgarian will face the German Alexander Zverev in the semifinals and the Spaniard fell to his executioner in Shanghai last year, as a reminder that there are many rivals to be the best.
In that sense, the one from El Palmar sees his attempt to reach Serbian Novak Djokovic at number one in the world stopped and could lose number two if the Italian Jannik Sinner, who will play the other semifinal against the Russian Daniil Medvedev, wins the tournament of Miami.