Carlos Alcaraz’s pursuit of a triple triumph at India Wells proceeded on Thursday evening as the Spanish player triumphed over Francisco Cerundolo. He will face Jack Draper, who ended the bids of the youngest American since 2004 from reaching the event’s quarterfinals.

Ben Shelton, 22, previously made headlines for his impressive performance on home ground but was halted by Draper from the United Kingdom, who achieved a straight-set victory of 6-4, 7-5.

The 13th-seeded Draper is set to encounter the second-seeded Alcaraz, the two-time defending champion, who expanded his winning spree at Indian Wells to 16 matches following a 6-3, 7-6 (4) win over Cerundolo.

During a chilly and gusty night in the California desert, Alcaraz fought back from a 1-4 deficit in the second set, with a break and two love service holds forcing the tiebreaker. He continues his quest to join Roger Federer and Novak Djokovic as the only men to capture three straight Indian Wells titles.

In another matchup, Russian Daniil Medvedev, who settled for second place in the last two years, triumphed over Arthur Fils 6-4, 2-6, 7-6 (9/7). Medvedev, the world no. six, advanced to a semifinal showdown with Denmark’s Holger Rune, the winner over Tallon Griekspoor.

Medvedev, a six-time Grand Slam finalist, twice trailed Fils before securing victory in a three-set battle. This win could mark a comeback for Medvedev, who hasn’t claimed a title since 2023.

Meanwhile, Madison Keys, the Australian Open champion, extended her winning streak to 16 matches, advancing to the women’s semifinals after a 6-1, 6-1 victory against wild-card entry Belinda Bencic. She will face top-seeded Aryna Sabalenka, who previously triumphed over Liudmila Samsonova 6-2, 6-3. Keys had previously denied Sabalenka a third consecutive title with a win in a three-set match in January at Melbourne Park.

Source: https://www.aljazeera.com/sports/2025/3/14/alcarazs-indian-wells-three-peat-bid-on-track-with-draper-next-up?traffic_source=rss