Even before the start of the Indian Wells Masters 1000, Carlos Alcaraz was considered as the top favorite to lift the trophy. The Spanish ace has triumphed in California in the last two editions and the absence of Jannik Sinner had further increased his chances of prevailing for the third year in a row.

Alcaraz didn’t reject the notion. On Thursday, he showed why that may be true — at least during this unfathomable run he’s having. With a 6-3, 7-6 (4) win over Francisco Cerúndolo of Argentina, Alcaraz has now won 16 consecutive matches here and is now into the semifinals at Indian Wells for the fourth consecutive year.