Carlos Alcaraz surged into the semifinals of the Rotterdam Open on Friday with a convincing 6-2, 6-1 victory over fellow Spaniard Pedro Martinez.
The world number three aims to become the first Spaniard to win the title in Rotterdam and will face Hubert Hurkacz from Poland in the next round for a chance to compete in the final on Sunday. Hurkacz, the eighth seed, overcame Andrey Rublev, the fourth seed from Russia, with scores of 6-7 (5/7), 6-3, 6-4.
This match marked the first time the two Spaniards clashed on the professional circuit, and Alcaraz demonstrated a significant difference in their rankings, with Martinez positioned 41 spots lower. He quickly asserted his dominance by breaking Martinez’s serve in the opening game. A second break followed soon after, and Alcaraz clinched the first set with an ace.
The second set continued similarly. Martinez sabotaged his chances, dropping his initial service game due to a double fault and a misfired forehand. An additional unforced error from Martinez allowed Alcaraz to secure another break in the fifth game, which featured the best rally of the match, with both players exhibiting impressive court coverage.
Alcaraz closed out the match with yet another break, finishing off Martinez with a powerful crosscourt forehand, marking his 29th winner, and completed the match in just over an hour.
