Carlos Alcaraz reaches US Open quarterfinal with late-night win against Marin Cilic
Updated
Carlos Alcaraz was in a world of trouble. His world record in Barcelona was on the line, too.
He needed a miracle, or maybe just a couple more days to find the magic that’s brought him here, to the US Open quarterfinals.
Then, on the way to the first set, Alcaraz was up 2-3 in the third. A broken serve followed by a return that gave him his only break point of the first set. Then, with a third set on serve, he’d won all four games.
Carlos Alcaraz of the US looks on as he beats Marin Cilic of Croatia at the US Open (Getty)
With the match on a knife edge, he didn’t want to let the match get away from him.
“The second set, the first time I lost a set in a row, I was a little bit disappointed. I was a little bit angry,” he said. “But today, I felt like I was in a match, I was in a match, playing well at least, and that I wanted to be able to continue playing well, and also be able to go out there, with all the emotion that comes from being on the court and losing against a great player, and then to start winning sets I feel like it’s pretty good.”
The match was on, for all those who watched here in Flushing Meadows, and for millions watching live on the CBS Sports Network. Alcaraz, a 10-time major champion, beat Marin Cilic in five sets, 6-2, 7-6 (4), 6-4 on the way to his first semifinal of his career in New York.
Cilic, the second seed, had lost to No. 1 seed Kei Nishikori in the quarterfinals last year.
“I’m very happy because I tried to play well and do my best in the first set
