World number two Carlos Alcarazclawed back a break in both sets and dominated the tiebreaker to beat DusanLajovic 6-4, 7-6 (7/0) on Friday in the ATP Rio Open quarter-finals.
The 19-year-old Spaniard notched his third win in three matches against 32-year-old Lajovic, including a quarter-final win over the 80th-ranked Serbianin the quarter-finals at the Argentina Open last week.
Alcaraz went on to win that title to cement his return from a four-monthinjury layoff that saw him miss the Australian Open.
On Friday he will face either Chilean Qualifier Nicolas Jarry or sixth-seededSebastian Baez of Argentina for a place in the Rio final, where he'd beseeking to defend the title that made him the youngest ever winner of an ATP500 tournament last year.
Second-seeded Briton Cameron Norrie booked his semi-final berth with a 4-6,6-1, 6-4 victory over Bolivian Hugo Dellian.
Norrie, trying to reach his third final of the year, will face Spain'sBernabe Zapata Miralles,who beat compatriot Albert Ramos Vinolas 6-4, 2-6,6-4.
Alcaraz improved his perfect record in 2023 to 7-0, but he had to figure somethings out along the way.