Carlos Alcaraz responded better than Alexander Zverev after a bizarre bee invasion to beat the German in the Indian Wells Open quarterfinal.
There was much anticipation surrounding this contest, after some epic previous matches between these two. This includes Zverev's sensational victory over the Spaniard at this year's Australian Open.
However, no one predicted the nature of the delay that took place. With Alcaraz getting ready to serve at 1-1, Court 1 was suddenly invaded by a huge number of bees, which led to play being suspended.
Play did not resume again for nearly two hours. Alcaraz's manager confirmed that the Spaniard was stung on the forehand by the bees, which was concerning news at the time.
Fortunately, Alcaraz was not just okay when play resumed. The two-time Grand Slam champion was at his sensational best to entertain the fans in the stadium who had waited so patiently.
After the restart, Alcaraz immediately imposed himself with intense hitting. Zverev was not able to adjust to this, and he was broken in his first game after the delay to make it 3-1 to Alcaraz.
Although Alcaraz played well in the opening set, Zverev was making far more unforced errors than normal. The German held his next two service games but he was putting the Spaniard under no pressure on his serve. Alcaraz took the opening set 6-3.
The second set was when Alcaraz's level became extraordinary. He hit countless incredible winners, dug out shots that looked like certain winners from Zverev and also showed his immense ability at the net. It was mesmerizing to watch.
There was not much Zverev could have done against an opponent playing at that level. The 2020 US Open runner-up was broken three times in the set, with his sole hold of serve coming in the fifth game.
The final score was 6-3 6-1 to Alcaraz. It sets up a blockbuster encounter with Jannik Sinner in the semifinal, which could be the match of the season.
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