Carlos Alcaraz advanced to the Cincinnati Open quarter-finals with a straight-sets win over Luca Nardi, producing what he called his best performance of the event so far.

The world No 2 beat the 98th-ranked Italian, a 22-year-old competing as a lucky loser, 6-1, 6-4 in the last 16 of the Masters 1000 tournament. Alcaraz broke Nardi twice to take the opening set and then recovered from 2-4 down in the second to reel off four successive games and close out the match.

Alcaraz landed 65% of his first serves, won 83% of first-serve points and 56% of second-serve points. He finished with 10 winners and 10 unforced errors. He had earlier defeated Damir Dzumhur and Hamad Medjedovic in his first two matches in Cincinnati.

“I think this match was the best so far for me in this tournament,” he said in his on-court interview. “At the beginning of the tournament, I just really wanted to get better every day, after every practice and every match.

“I think I’m doing it, which I’m really proud about. I’m just really happy with the way I felt the ball today and the way that I moved.”

Asked about balancing on-court preparation with time off, Alcaraz added: “Well, I just try to take care of both things. It depends, without balance, everything is a mess.

“I think both things are really important to be fresh mentally and to come back to court with the feeling that you really want to have battles, to practice and then to get ready for the tournaments. I think a balance of both is important.”

The victory sends Alcaraz into his third quarter-final in Cincinnati, after runs to the last eight in 2022 and 2023, his best previous result being a runner-up finish in 2023. The 22-year-old has 27 wins in his last 28 matches and is on a 14-match winning streak at ATP Masters 1000 level, a run that includes his titles in Rome and Monte Carlo.

Since Masters events began in 1990, Alcaraz is only the third player to win 14 successive matches at this level before turning 23, following Pete Sampras and Rafael Nadal. He will meet world No 11 Andrey Rublev in the quarter-finals.

The first quarterfinal at the Cincinnati Open pairs world No. 1 Jannik Sinner against world No. 28 Felix Auger-Aliassime. Estimated start time is 3:00 p.m. ET on Thursday, August 14.

Sinner arrives with heavy momentum. He is on a 10-match winning streak on tour, a run that includes seven victories en route to the Wimbledon title and three wins so far in Cincinnati. He also carries a 24-match winning streak on hard courts, having not lost on the surface since last October.

Auger-Aliassime enters with a perfect head-to-head record against Sinner, leading 2-0. Both meetings occurred in 2022: a 6-1, 6-2 win in the third round of Madrid and a three-set win here in Cincinnati, 2-6, 7-6 (1), 6-1.

The 2022 Cincinnati match is recalled for its dramatic swing. Sinner led by a set and a break at 6-2, 4-2 and had a point to serve for a 6-2, 5-2 lead. After losing that break he held double match point with Auger-Aliassime serving at 5-6, 15-40 in the second set. Auger-Aliassime then won 11 of the next 12 points to take the set and went on to win the third set decisively.

The Cincinnati Open arrived this year with a $260 million renovation, new buildings, sunken courts, expanded draws and $5 million more in prize money. The upgrades have reshaped the grounds, but August weather here remains the same: stifling heat that can give way to sudden, heavy rain. Fans have spent hours under the tournament’s new shaded tables and the schedule has relied on built-in off days to keep the event roughly on track for the quarterfinals.

Practice courts offered a different drama. Daniil Medvedev and Tomas Machac, both gone from the draw after opening losses, spent a humid afternoon exchanging level strokes that often looked effortless. Watching them reminded observers that even players with difficult seasons can find clarity in practice, and that match pressure is a separate animal.

The competitive court produced tougher stories. Frances Tiafoe began strongly against Holger Rune, leading early, then suffered a recurrence of pain at 4-4. He called the trainer, downed Tylenol and by the second set was asking his coaches if he should stop. When the moment arrived he screamed an f-bomb and hit a ball out of the stadium. His run in Cincinnati was over and his path to a deep US Open showing now feels uncertain.

Adrian Mannarino supplied one of the day’s liveliest moments. After striking an especially thin ball he exclaimed, “Ay yi-yi-yi-yi!” The 37-year-old pushed Jannik Sinner for almost two hours, and briefly drew visible frustration from Sinner, who gave his coaches, including Darren Cahill, a sarcastic thumbs up after a big point. Mannarino could not seize the final opportunity.

Carlos Alcaraz drew a different crowd at practice. When he appeared, fans sprinted across the grounds to watch; Ben Shelton even joined a session beside him. At the other end of the scoreboard the United States suffered a sweep of disappointments: Jessica Pegula, Taylor Fritz and Madison Keys all lost by evening. Pegula fell to an aggressive Magda Linette, Keys was pushed back by Elena Rybakina and Fritz was beaten by Terence Altman. Sometimes you play like you’re No. 1. Other times your opponent plays like you’re No. 1.