Alcaraz, Djokovic, Sabalenka advance in US Open

NEW YORK, August 29 ------ Carlos Alcaraz stormed into the third round of the US Open with a blistering straight-sets victory as Novak Djokovic overcame an early scare to advance.

Alcaraz, who could meet Djokovic in the semifinals at Flushing Meadows if the draw follows the seedings, blew away Italy’s Mattia Bellucci, 6-1, 6-0, 6-3, in just one hour 36 minutes on the Arthur Ashe Stadium main court. The 22-year-old Spanish second seed unfurled a stream of 32 winners in a dominant display against the 65th-ranked Bellucci, whose best performance in a Grand Slam came with a run to the third round at Wimbledon earlier this year. “I played great to be honest, from the beginning until the last ball,” said Alcaraz, who will face another Italian, 32nd seed Luciano Darderi, in the next round. “The less time I spend on court the better for me, to go to bed early,” he added.

Elsewhere Wednesday, Serbian legend Djokovic kept his dream of a record 25th Grand Slam singles title alive after a four-set defeat of American qualifier Zachary Svajda. Djokovic though was forced to dig deep after losing the first set before claiming a 6-7 (5/7), 6-3, 6-3, 6-1 win. Djokovic, 38, said that while not at his best, he is hoping to play himself into form as the tournament progresses. “That’s what I’m hoping, the deeper I go into the tournament the better I feel about my game,” he said.

Djokovic’s victory sees him into the third round at the US Open for a record-equaling 19th time, where he will face Britain’s Cameron Norrie, who defeated Argentina’s Francisco Comesana, 7-6 (7/5), 6-3, 6-7 (0/7), 7-6 (7/4). In other men’s action on Wednesday, Norwegian 12th seed Casper Ruud, the 2022 US Open finalist, exited to Belgium’s Raphael Collignon, losing 6-4, 3-6, 3-6, 6-4, 7-5. Fourth seed Taylor Fritz advanced safely, beating South Africa’s Lloyd Harris, 4-6, 7-6 (7/3), 6-2, 6-4, while American compatriot Frances Tiafoe, seeded 17, also progressed with a four-set defeat of qualifier Martin Damm. Tiafoe won, 6-4, 7-5, 6-7 (8/10), 7-5.

In the women’s draw, meanwhile, defending champion and world No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka moved into the next round with a workmanlike display to dispatch unseeded Russian Polina Kudermetova, 7-6 (7/4), 6-2. Sabalenka started slowly but after taking the first set on a tie-break, asserted her control to pull away in the second. The Belarusian will play Canada’s Leylah Fernandez in the third round. “The first set was super-tight, super-aggressive. I was glad I was able to handle that pressure and put it back to her. In the second set I felt much better in the return game.”

Source: manilatimes.net