Cincinnati, Aug 11 : Carlos Alcaraz battled past World No. 56 Damir Dzumhur 6-1, 2-6, 6-3 to reach the third round of the Cincinnati Masters here on Monday (IST).

Alcaraz raced through the first set in just 28 minutes. But he found himself off course in the second set. With errors creeping in and his intensity dipping, the World No. 2 opened the door for a surging Dzumhur, who began charging the net and taking control of the rallies to level.

The Spaniard crucially regrouped in the decider, finding just enough firepower and precision to steady the ship and close out the match after one hour and 41 minutes.

"It was just a rollercoaster. Lots of good feelings, bad feelings, back to the good ones. All I can say is I am happy to get the win at the end and just have another chance to be better. I will try tomorrow to have my confidence back because today it was a little bit tricky.

"Damir plays really smart tennis, which I have to be focused and ready for that. I have a rest day tomorrrow, to give myself the confidence back and hopefully be better in the next round," Alcaraz said.

Alcaraz was competing for the first time since he lost to Sinner in the pair's latest Lexus ATP Head2Head meeting in the Wimbledon final. Having both qualified for the ATP Finals, Sinner and Alcaraz will compete in a thrilling battle for ATP Year-End No. 1 honours over the remaining months of the year.

Alcaraz currently holds a 1,500-point lead over Sinner in the ATP Live Race To Turin.

Alcaraz has clinched a Tour-leading five titles in 2025, including Masters 1000 crowns in Monte-Carlo and Rome. The 22-year-old's best result in Ohio came in 2023, when he lost in a three-set final thriller against Novak Djokovic.

The Spaniard, who is chasing eighth Masters 1000 title, will next meet Hamad Medjedovic.

/IANS