Betting Central

Line Calls, presented by FanDuel: Hubert Hurkacz vs. Carlos Alcaraz, Cincinnati semis

These two have already played two tight matches against one another, so why would anything be different in their third encounter Saturday?

ByZachary Cohen

Published Aug 19, 2023

Carlos Alcaraz, Hubert Hurkacz Clash Again In Cincinnati | Line Calls, Presented By Fanduel

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On Saturday, world No. 1 Carlos Alcaraz will take on Hubert Hurkacz in the semifinals of the Western & Southern Open in Cincinnati. I do think the Spaniard will ultimately find a way to win this match, much like he has all week. But I can’t say I’m terribly confident in that. However, I am pretty confident that this one will be a lengthy battle. So, I'd suggest staying away from the sides here and just hoping for a long match that you can enjoy.

The game total on this match is currently set at 22.5 games, which feels very low for what should be a tight one throughout. These two have met twice in the past, with both of those previous meetings going Over the mark set on this one. Two years ago, Alcaraz earned a 7-6 (5), 7-6 (2) win over Hurkacz in Miami, and the two-time major winner then earned a 3-6, 7-6 (2), 7-6 (3) win over the Pole in Toronto just over a week ago.

Alcaraz has won all four tie-breakers played against Hurkacz.

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Alcaraz is one of the premier returners in the sport, which should manifest itself at some point in this match. But when Hurkacz is serving well, he brings a strong voice to the table. We saw that in his meeting with Novak Djokovic at Wimbledon, and I think there will be a set or two in which he forces Alcaraz to solve the puzzle as a returner.

Overall, it’s not crazy to expect another match with multiple tiebreakers, much like we’ve gotten from these two in each of their previous two battles. But oddly enough, that isn’t even what we’d need to see from this matchup for this Over to cash. All it will take is a tiebreaker and a 6-4 set for this to hit, if somebody wins this one in straight sets. But I’d honestly be surprised if either of them gets this done without a deciding third set.

Alcaraz is still the best player on the planet, even when he’s off his game. And Hurkacz has looked tremendous all week. I think these two will really bring the best out of one another, and we’ll continue to see what the 20-year-old is made of on the road to launching his US Open title defense.

Line Call: Over 22.5 Games (-110)

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