Alcaraz Bemoans Weather Conditions At Cincinnati Open

Tennis star Carlos Alcaraz has expressed his frustrations at the weather condition at the Cincinnati Open.

He defeated Serbian Hamad Medjedovic in straight sets 6-4 6-4 in the third round to claim his 13th consecutive Masters 1000 win.

He is the first player since Novak Djokovic, from 2013 to 2016, to reach 50 wins in four consecutive seasons.

Tennis players have been struggling with the heat in the tournament, with temperatures regularly exceeding 30C.

Francisco Comesana and Reilly Opelka both took medical timeouts during their third-round match, American Opelka also called for the doctor in the final set, complaining of dizziness and high blood pressure after being broken for 5-6.

Alcaraz admitted that he was not feeling good despite earning an important victory over Medjedovic.

He said: “I always say that the season is really long, playing a lot of matches, playing a lot of tournaments. More than half of the matches we play, you don’t feel that good. You have to think positive and just play your best tennis possible that day.

“I’m really happy that in really difficult matches I’m able to play my best tennis even though I’m not feeling the right way. I’m just happy and proud about it because it’s something I’m working on.”

Alcaraz was full of praise for Medjedovic, who gave him a tough time on the court.

He said: “I know he’s a really powerful player. His shots are incredibly hard to return. He has a big serve also. I know he doesn’t like to run too much from side to side, so my plan was to make him run as much as I could.”

He has already won five titles including the French Open and will be hoping to make it six by winning the Cincinnati Open.

Alcaraz has won seven ATP Masters 1000 trophies in his career, including the Monte Carlo and Rome titles this year.

Meanwhile, second seed Coco Gauff advanced to the last 16 without hitting a ball after Dayana Yastremska withdrew from their third-round tie because of illness.