Carlos Alcaraz (AP Photo)

NEW DELHI: Carlos Alcaraz, the two-time defending champion, showcased his dominance at the ATP Indian Wells Masters on Wednesday. The world number three from Spain overcame the challenging windy conditions on Stadium Court to deliver a commanding performance against Grigor Dimitrov, defeating him 6-1, 6-1.
Alcaraz’s victory denied Dimitrov’s bid to join Canadian Felix Auger-Aliassime as the only players to beat the Spaniard in three consecutive meetings. The Bulgarian had previously won their last two encounters, including the quarter-finals at the Miami Open last year.
With his 50th ATP Masters 1000 match win, Alcaraz kept his hopes alive of joining Roger Federer and Novak Djokovic as the only men to win three consecutive Indian Wells titles.
Having reached the fourth round without dropping a set, Alcaraz produced his most impressive performance of the tournament. Despite the swirling winds that caused ball kids to scramble after blowing trash, Alcaraz appeared supremely untroubled.
He broke Dimitrov’s serve to open the match and secured the first set with another break. Alcaraz didn’t face a break point until the fifth game of the second set, but he overcame that challenge with an ace on Dimitrov’s third break chance. Alcaraz then broke the Bulgarian’s serve to take a 5-1 lead.
Alcaraz sealed the victory in style, earning a match point with his sixth ace of the match and clinching the win with a forehand winner. He will next face Argentina’s Francisco Cerundolo, who defeated Australian Alex de Minaur 7-5, 6-3, for a place in the semi-finals.