Alcaraz, Djokovic line up all-star Cincinnati final
Carlos Alcaraz saved a match point on the way to a three-set victory over Hubert Hurkacz on Saturday as he lined up title clash with Novak Djokovic at the ATP Cincinnati Masters. World number one Alcaraz held on for a 2-6, 7-6 (7/4), 6-3 victory over Hurkacz, rallying to beat the big-serving Pole for the second time in as many weeks. World number two Djokovic beat Germany's Alexander Zverev 7-6 (7/5), 7-5 to reach the final, which will be a repeat of last month's epic Wimbledon final won by Alcaraz. Djokovic was trying for a second time to serve out the match when he was distracted by a nearby amusement park's fireworks display, but managed to regain his focus and finish it off. He'd dropped his serve two games earlier, only to come back with a break of his own. "I played a very poor game, but I bounced back and sealed the deal in the 12th game of the second set," Djokovic said. "A final with the world number one and two facing each other is I guess what everyone wanted – so here we are." Alcaraz's victory, after two hours and 18 minutes over Hurkacz, ensures the 20-year-old will remain atop the world rankings heading into the US Open, which starts a week from Monday. He notched his 53rd match win of the season against five defeats, but it was another hard slog for the Spaniard. "It's been a really tough tournament for me, all my matches going three sets," Alcaraz said. "But I'm happy to win these kinds of matches by staying strong mentally. "I've grown up a lot with these experiences. It's great to be in the final," he added. (AFP)