NEW YORK – Carlos Alcaraz cruised in the third round of the US Open, leading on set and break after filming 10 of his first 14 games at Arthur Ash Stadium on Friday.
Second seed Alkaraz, who won the first of five grand slam titles at Flushing Meadows in 2022, broke for the first time in the tournament, then had a medical timeout and massaged his legs by his trainer. Problem Solved: Alcaraz spent the rest of the match, never dropping another game, beating 32 6-2, 6-4, and 6-0.
This week was the first simple tip for Alcaraz, 22, to trouble.
He didn’t let Francis Tiafoe tease him about it, and Alcaraz wasn’t worried about what had happened in his knee with Dardari, a 23-year-old Italian who had made his debut as a major species.
“I felt something was not working well on my lap, but after 5 or 6 points it was gone,” Alcaraz said, describing the visit from the trainer as preventive. “I’m going to talk to the team, but I’m not worried.”
Apart from that blip, his play was fantastic in the game. This lasted for an hour and 44 minutes.
He delivered 31 winners to just 12 forced errors, earning 70 of the 105 points below 105 points.
“It’s a shame I met Carlos in the third round, because it’s impossible to play against Janik (the sinner) or Carlos right now. “Everyone knew I was going to come in today that my chances weren’t the best.”
Alcaraz, who faces Arthur Lin Darkneck in the fourth round, improved his career Grand Slam record to 80-13. Only Boris Becker, Bjorn Borg and Rafael Nadal were a month or two younger when they won their 80th major match.
