Carlos Alcaraz reached the US Open quarter-finals for a second successive year when he defeated 2014 champion Marin Cilic 6-4, 3-6, 6-4, 4-6, 6-3 in an epic last-16 tie that finished at 02:23am on Tuesday here.

In a gruelling three-hour and 54-minute encounter, Cilic was under siege, having to save 12 of 18 break points while committing 66 unforced errors. Alcaraz, 19, seeded three and seen as the title favorite after the elimination of four-time champion Rafael Nadal, will face Jannik Sinner of Italy for a semi-final place.