Alcaraz plays 'perfect match' to outclass Felix for second straight year in Indian Wells

Defending champion Carlos Alcaraz used a seven-game blitz to take command against Felix Auger-Aliassime on Sunday at the BNP Paribas Open. The Spaniard scored a 6-2, 6-3 third-round victory to extend his Indian Wells winning streak to eight matches, continuing his bid to advance to the semi-finals for the third straight year in the desert.

Alcaraz still trails his Lexus ATP Head2Head with Auger-Aliassime 2-3, but has now won each of their past two meetings in consecutive years in Indian Wells. The Canadian was bidding for his first Top 5 win since the 2022 Nitto ATP Finals; a victory also would have made him just the third player with four or more tour-level wins against Alcaraz (Zverev - 5, Sinner - 4).

"I think he didn't get that many points with his serves. I think he lives with his serve," Alcaraz said after winning 46 per cent of points (16/35) against the Canadian's first delivery.

"I put almost every return in, playing the point. I felt that I'm better than him from the baseline, putting some good points on the court and I think it went well. I played aggressive with less mistakes. I think it was almost a perfect match for me."

That touch though👀 💯@carlosalcaraz | @bnpparibasopen | #TennisParadise pic.twitter.com/mPFfAM1IIT

— ATP Tour (@atptour) March 10, 2024

After Auger-Aliassime made a confident start to the match with two strong holds on the stadium court, Alcaraz crafted his first break of the match with the help of two brilliant returns. That opened up the Spaniard's free-flowing game, with a 103-mph forehand winner among his first-set highlights.

From 1-2 in the opening set, Alcaraz rattled off seven straight games with little resistance — though Auger-Aliassime did step up to create his first and only break point of the match as Alcaraz served out the opening set.

An early break in set two was enough to decide the set, though Alcaraz broke for a fourth time in the match's final game. He also rued clipping the tape on a would-be passing shot in reply to an overhead on break point at 3-1, though his frustration quickly melted away into a smile. Despite missing on that would-be hot shot, Alcaraz finished with 15 winners, including 11 off his forehand wing.

Next up for the Spaniard is a fourth-round showdown with Fabian Marozsan, a chance for Alcaraz to avenge his shock defeat to the Hungarian last May in Rome.

Stefanos Tsitsipas also advanced early on Sunday in Indian Wells with a 6-3, 6-3 win against home favourite Frances Tiafoe. The Greek converted on four of six break points, according to Infosys ATP Stats, and now awaits 32nd seed Jiri Lehecka in the last 16.

In a match full of firepower on both sides of the net, Tstisipas and Tiafoe thrilled the Stadium 2 crowd with off-the-charts athleticism throughout the one-hour, 18-minute match. Tiafoe displayed supreme court coverage as he was often forced to defend in the corners, while Tsitsipas' backpedalling forehand passing shot might have stolen the honours for shot of the match.

The dominant victory earned Tsitsipas his first Top 20 win of the season (1-4) and saw him progress to the Indian Wells fourth round for the second time in his career (2021). He remains at No. 11 in the PIF ATP Live Rankings, but is within striking distance of Alex de Minaur at No. 10 and the eliminated Hubert Hurkacz at No. 9. The Greek can leapfrog Hurkacz with two more wins in the desert.

The Czech Lehecka, who is into the fourth round in Indian Wells for the first time, upset fifth seed Andrey Rublev 6-4, 6-4 for his third Top 10 win. 

The former Next Gen ATP Finals presented by PIF finalist won 93 per cent (25/27) of his first-serve points to triumph after 78 minutes. Earlier this year, Lehecka lifted his maiden tour-level trophy in Adelaide.