Carlos Alcaraz upset by Gael Monfils in Cincinnati Open thriller

Alcaraz could make little impact when the round of 32 match resumed on Friday.

Rain had forced the players off on Thursday night with Alcaraz a set up but 3-1 down in a second set tie-break.

Frenchman Monfils was quickly out of the blocks to level the contest, and he then took the decider for a 4-6 7-6 (5) 6-4 triumph.

Alcaraz's frustration with his performance surfaced in the deciding set as he smashed his racquet after missing an opportunity to break 37-year-old Monfils' serve.

Afterwards, the Spaniard admitted there was very little positives he could take from the contest.

"It's kind of really difficult to find some good stuff from this match. So I want to forget it, and try to move on to New York," he said.

"I'll go to New York and I'll try to practise well, to get used to those courts. And I will forget this match, because I think it is impossible to get any good things about this match.

"I felt like it was the worst match that I ever played in my career," Alcaraz added. “[I] couldn't play."

Alcaraz was making his first hard-court appearance since March, since when he has won the French Open, Wimbledon and a silver medal at the Paris Olympics.

Elsewhere, third seed Alexander Zverev reached the quarter-finals with a 7-5 7-6 (6) victory over Spain's Pablo Carrero Busta.

Andrey Rublev enjoyed a comfortable passage to the last-eight, defeating American Brandon Nakashima 7-6 (5) 6-1.

Rublev will now play world number one Jannik Sinner in the quarter-finals, whose third round opponent Jordan Thompson withdrew before their match because of a rib injury.

British No 1 Jack Draper booked a place in the last eight as he came from behind to beat Canada's Felix Auger-Aliassime 5-7 6-4 6-4.

It was a third successive three-set victory for Draper, who will meet Danish 15th seed Holger Rune in the quarter-finals.

Rune returned later in the day to take on Alcaraz killer Monfils, securing a 3-6 6-3 6-4 victory.