Carlos ALCARAZ overcomes bee hurdle to defeat Alexander ZVEREV at Indian Wells, sets up clash against SINNER

Carlos Alcaraz (No. 2) defeated Alexander Zverev (No. 6) 6-3, 6-1 at Indian Wells and advances to the semifinals in a match interrupted by a bee invasion on the court. With only two games played (1-1), the match was halted for nearly an hour while Alcaraz was serving.

Upon returning to the court, the Spanish player was much more dominant than Zverev, sending a message to Sinner that he will have to fight to defeat "Carlitos," who showcased his best level of the tournament. The 2-times Grand Slam champion secured the first break in the fourth game after the interruption caused by the bees.

Alcaraz didn't give Zverev any chances on his serve throughout the set, and Zverev couldn't counter Alcaraz's excellent serve, which had a 76% first-serve percentage, winning 89% of them, and 67% on the second serve. On the other hand, Zverev had a 75% first-serve percentage, winning 58% of them, and only 50% on the second serve. The German couldn't keep up with Alcaraz in the rallies and was overwhelmed by the 20-year-old young star.

The nightmare continued for Zverev in the second set, where he only won 45% of his service points and 14% on return. Alcaraz quickly broke in the first game (the most disputed of the match) in his favor. From then on, "Carlitos" didn't relent, shortening the points and being more precise, with 8 winners and 2 unforced errors compared to 3 winners and 5 unforced errors from his rival.

The world No. 2 didn't falter for the rest of the match, securing three breaks in the second set and closing out the match impressively with a score of 6-3, 6-1 as he advances in pursuit of defending his title.

In the semifinals, he will face none other than Jannik Sinner (No. 3). This will be their 8th encounter, with Sinner leading 4-3, including victories in their last two meetings at the Miami Open and Beijing last year.

Alcaraz's last victory was a year ago, also in the semifinals of Indian Wells, before the Spanish player claimed the title against Medvedev. The winner of the match will not only secure a spot in the final but will also claim the world No. 2 ranking starting next week, regardless of the other results at Tennis Paradise.