Carlos Alcaraz beats Dimitrov, sets up Zverev showdown

The defending champion and World No. 2 Carlos Alcaraz on Sunday produced a stunning performance to beat Grigor Dimitrov to advance into the last 16 with a thoroughly entertaining match at the ongoing Madrid Open. In a 6-2, 7-5 victory, Spanish teen sensation Alcaraz used his athletic game to get off to a quick start, then showed his grit to recover a break in the second set almost immediately. He will next face Alexander Zverev in a rematch of last year’s Madrid final, won by Alcaraz in straight sets.
In a one-sided opening set at Manolo Santana stadium, Alcaraz used his all-action game to seize command over Dimitrov. Alcaraz stated before the competition that he felt motivation rather than pressure from the Spanish crowd, and he demonstrated this by playing freely against the Bulgarian. Early on, he waved his racquet like a magic wand, pretending a cross-court slice before lifting a down-the-line pass past his stranded opponent.
Throughout the match, Alcaraz delighted his home crowd, with the aggressive Dimitrov contributing by forcing the Spaniard to rely on his world-class speed and defensive abilities. The top seed maintained a positive attitude throughout the 90-minute tournament and sprinted to the finish line by winning five of the final
six games.