Carlos Alcaraz achieved another first on Thursday night in Indian Wells as his pursuit of a first BNP Paribas Open victory gains momentum. The Spaniard defeated Felix Auger-Aliassime 6-4, 6-4 in the desert to win for the first time in four ATP Head2Head encounters.
Two of the game's brightest young talents provided a never-ending series of highlight points in a wonderfully entertaining quarterfinal. The two players produced magic from all around the court for two hours, captivating the stadium crowd with their strength, athleticism, and shotmaking.
Alcaraz went closer to regaining the top spot in the Pepperstone ATP Rankings with this win, his first over a Top 10 opponent since defeating Casper Ruud in the US Open final. He will then play Jannik Sinner in the Indian Wells semifinals for the second year in a row, with Daniil Medvedev or Frances Tiafoe perhaps following them in the final.