India, Aug. 17 -- Carlos Alcaraz reached his second final at the Cincinnati Open on Saturday after defeating Alexander Zverev in the semifinal. It also marked the seventh consecutive time he reached an ATP Tour final, increasing his season match win total to 53 in a year that already included five titles.

The 6-4, 6-3 scoreline, however, belies the struggles Alcaraz faced. The first came in the opening set when Zverev found the antidote to his cross-court game, leaving him trailing 2-3 before a late surge helped him regain the lead. The second came at the start of the second set, when Alcaraz committed four double faults in the second game-three of them consecutively-handing the German an early advantage.

The sight left Alcaraz frozen i...