Carlos Alcaraz kept alive his bid for an Indian Wells “three-peat” with the third-round victory in commanding 6-2, 6-4 fashion over Denis Shapovalov on Monday, MySportDab Reports.
Never facing a single break point, the Spaniard put it all together for a near-perfect result that carried him into the last 16.
Alcaraz came out strong, taking the first five games and hitting 10 winners in the opening set, while Shapovalov could not match the Spaniard’s pace.
The four-time Grand Slam champion never relinquished control, closing out the match in under 90 minutes with an overhead smash.
“I knew if I wanted to win, I had to start strong and stay focused because it was going to be a tough battle,” Alcaraz said. “I’m really pleased with what I did, but there’s always a few things to get better at.”
The 20-year-old is seeking to join Roger Federer and Novak Djokovic as the only men to win three Indian Wells titles in a row. Former world number one Djokovic was knocked out in the second round.
Alcaraz’s next opponent will be 14th-seeded Grigor Dimitrov, who fought his way past Gael Monfils 7-6, 4-6, 7-6 in a punishing three-hour affair.
Dimitrov has survived an injury scare when he accidentally rammed his forehand into his left thumb and left it bleeding. The Bulgarian, who briefly lost his way at one point, rallied to set up a deciding tiebreak before seizing victory.
Alcaraz in top form, the Spaniard will continue his dominance as he nears another Indian Wells title.
