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World no. 2 Carlos Alcaraz is through into the semi-final in Buenos Aires, remaining on the title-defense course. Carlos met Andrea Vavassori in the quarter-final and scored a 7-6, 6-1 victory in an hour and 40 minutes, playing better than Thursday in his first match.
The Spaniard served at 80% and defended his second serve superbly. Alcaraz denied a break point early in the opener and served well in the rest of the clash, mounting the pressure on Vavassori. The Italian stayed in touch in the first set, reaching a tie break but losing it 7-1.
Carlos gained a boost and grabbed two breaks in the second set, sailing over the top and setting the semi-final clash with Nicolas Jarry. Andrea held in the first game of the encounter with a service winner, his main weapon along the net rushings.
The Italian repeated that at 1-1, staying in front and making a reliable start. Vavassori attacked in the fourth game, creating a break chance after covering the net nicely.
He missed it after a poor slice, and Alcaraz held with a volley winner at the net for 2-2. Andrea landed another powerful serve in the fifth game, holding at love and opening a 3-2 advantage after 20 minutes. Carlos netted a forehand in the sixth game and experienced another deuce on his serve.
The Italian missed an opportunity to create a break point, and the Spaniard landed a service winner for 3-3. Vavassori netted a routine forehand in the seventh game, offering his rival a break chance. Andrea denied it with a booming serve and held with a volley winner for 4-3.
Carlos Alcaraz is 6-0 in Buenos Aires.
Carlos responded with a hold at love in game eight after a backhand down the line winner and held at 30 two games later for 5-5. The Italian landed two beautiful volley winners at deuce in the 11th game, and the Spaniard introduced a tie break with a forehand down the line winner in the next one.
Alcaraz secured a mini-break in the first point and landed two drop shot winners for 3-0. World no. 2 grabbed two more mini-breaks for 5-0, building a massive advantage and wrapping up the set after the rival's forehand mistake in the eighth point.
Carlos held from 0-30 at the beginning of the second set with two winners and played a touchy drop shot winner in game two for three break chances.
Vavassori denied two with service winners before Alcaraz clinched the third with a forced error, opening a set and a break advantage.
The young gun painted a lob winner in the third game, holding at 30 and cementing the advantage. Andrea struggled behind the initial shot again in the fourth game, unable to find free points or impose his strokes. He denied three break points before Carlos seized the fourth with a forehand down the line bullet, terminating the rival's resistance.
The Spaniard held at 15 in game five and served for the victory at 5-1. Alcaraz came from 0-30 with winners and fired an unreturned serve for a match point. Vavassori saved it with a backhand down the line winner before world no.
2 created the second with a volley winner at the net. Carlos punched a forehand down the line winner, sealing the deal and moving into the last four.