New York (AFP) – Carlos Alcaraz coasted into the last 16 of the US Open on Friday with a straight-sets win despite sparking fitness concerns as he received treatment for a knee issue. Alcaraz beat Italian 32nd seed Luciano Darderi 6-2, 6-4, 6-0 and will face Frenchman Arthur Rinderknech in the next round.
The Spaniard took a medical timeout late in the second set after complaining of knee pain but won the final seven games once play resumed and said he was “not worried about it.” Alcaraz surrendered only two points on serve in the opening set, but Darderi put up more of a challenge in the second, battling back from a break down before his rival summoned the trainer at 5-4.
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“I’m feeling good – I just asked for him when he (Darderi) broke my serve because I felt something wasn’t working great in the knee but after five or six points it was gone,” said Alcaraz. “I just asked the physio to have a look at it because I wanted to be feeling good physically for that last set.” Darderi doubled-faulted while trying to stay in the second set, and Alcaraz wrapped up a 42nd win in his last 44 matches, quickly rattling through the third set.
“I just tried to start awake, that was important. Starting at 11:30 my first goal is to start well with a good energy and rhythm,” said Alcaraz, who was first in action on the Arthur Ashe Stadium court. “I’m not an early morning person so it’s difficult for me to wake up in the morning. One of the good things today though I woke up early, did the warm-up and felt good.”
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