Die-hard fans came out in droves on a blustery evening at the Indian Wells Tennis Garden to see Carlos Alcaraz’s artistry light up the night in the Stadium 1 night session. 

The defending two-time champion didn’t disappoint. 

The 21-year-old wunderkind produced myriad moments of magic as he battled past Argentina’s Francisco Cerundolo 6-3, 7-6(4) for his 16th consecutive BNP Paribas Open victory and a spot in Saturday’s semifinals. 

The victory puts the Spaniard two wins from becoming the third player in history to complete a three-peat at the tournament. Only icons Roger Federer and Novak Djokovic have previously achieved the feat.

Alcaraz, who will face Jack Draper in the semifinals, has made Indian Wells his personal proving ground, with a 20-2 lifetime record in the Coachella Valley. 

“I love the vibes, I love the energy – I love everything here,” Alcaraz said after his win. “Off the court I feel at home, on the court I feel as home as well.” 

Six break points went begging for Cerundolo in his first two return games of the contest, and they proved to be one missed chance too many. The heavy lifting done, it was time for Alcaraz to create his own chances in the eighth game of the set. 

Starting to show his class, Alcaraz struck and converted the first break of the evening for a 5-3 lead. Showtime was just beginning. 

“It’s like a magic wand in that young man’s hand” said Paul Annacone, former coach of Roger Federer, who was commentating the match for Tennis Channel, after a particularly deft backhand volley winner in the next game.

Though the conditions were challenging on Thursday evening, the quality of the tennis was exceptional from both players throughout their second tour-level meeting. Even Alcaraz’s missed chances were spectacular, and drew rave reviews from the fans.

Case in point: a tweener attempt at 30-all in the third game of the second set which saw the 21-year-old miss a few feet long; the frothy roar of the crowd during the point made it hard to tell that Alcaraz’s attempt hadn’t caught the line. 

26-year-old Cerundolo left an indelible impression on the match as well. There was his 97 mph forehand into the wind that had the crowd gasping in their seats. The top-ranked player from South America played exceptionally well, just not well enough to meet the challenge of facing Alcaraz on a court he has dominated for the last three years.

“Francisco was playing really great tennis from the beginning to the end of the match,” said Alcaraz. “I took my chances, just a few, and was happy to take them. It was a really great match and I have to give credit to him for keeping a great level.”  

Cerundolo kept plugging away, and eventually converted a break for 3-1 in set two, capping a prolonged rally with a booming forehand winner and raising his arms aloft as if to tell the crowd, “I’m here too.”

But he couldn’t withstand the relentless barrage of shot quality that came from the Spaniard in the end. Alcaraz broke back in the seventh game and forced things into a tiebreak, where he finally put an end to matters at the one hour and 43-minute mark.

Draper Stops Shelton For Milestone Win In The Desert 

A flawless opening set put British No. 1 Draper on the cusp of a milestone.

After a tight second set, in chilly conditions on Stadium 2, the 23-year-old Brit came through with a clutch win over American Ben Shelton, 6-4, 7-5, to reach his first Masters 1000 semifinal. 

Draper outgunned the No. 11 seed in a match of stylistic doppelgangers that was played with the thinnest of margins. Draper came out like a house on fire in the opening set, making 83 percent of his first-serves and winning all but three of his service points. 

“It’s like facing a mirror – both of us come with a lot of firepower,” Draper said after the win. 

Shelton entered the fray with more energy in the second set, and it paid off. The 22-year-old broke Draper early and led 3-0, but he couldn’t make the lead stand up. Draper pushed back, breaking and levelling at three-all, then continued to pressure Shelton in his service games. 

A Shelton double-fault gave Draper his second break of the set and a chance to serve for his first masters 1000 semifinal, at 6-5. 

The No.13 seed clinched his victory, rallying from 0-30 in the final game to set a semifinal with Alcaraz, their fifth career meeting. 

Draper is up to a career-high of No. 11 in the world in the current ATP live rankings, and owns one win against the two-time champion. 

“I don’t set too many goals,” Draper said, when informed on court of his current ranking status. “I’m living my dream by playing on these big courts against the best players in the world, I just keep on working hard, keep my head down, and keep on enjoying it.”