New York (AFP) – Defending champion Carlos Alcaraz reached the fourth round of the US Open with a straight-set victory over Wu Yibing and said he’s “getting there” after a four-month injury absence. China’s Wu kept Alcaraz hopping with an aggressive baseline game, but Alcaraz came through 6-3, 6-4, 6-1 to line up a meeting with American Tommy Paul for a place in the quarter-finals. Paul, seeded 20th, beat 15th-seeded Alexander Bublik 6-4, 3-6, 6-7 (4/7), 6-1, 6-3.
Alcaraz won the Australian Open in January for his seventh Grand Slam title. But the 23-year-old arrived at Flushing Meadows having not played since April as he recovered from a wrist injury. His lack of match play — and the pressure Wu applied — was evident in 33 unforced errors, the Spaniard showing plenty of frustration along with satisfaction over the course of the two hour and 20 minute contest.
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“I think today there was a really high rhythm,” Alcaraz said. “The way he plays is unbelievable, the rhythm he has on every shot — forehand, backhand. His balls skid a lot on the court and, for me, it’s really difficult to control sometimes. But I think I stayed there. I played aggressive. I played smart in the toughest moments.”
Alcaraz made a dream start, breaking Wu in the opening game on the way to a 3-1 lead. But Wu, a former US Open boys’ champion whose pro trajectory has been disrupted by multiple injuries, settled in and broke back with an aggressive game to level the set at 3-3. Alcaraz responded by winning the next five games. He pocketed the first set and took a 2-0 lead in the second before Wu halted his momentum, taking advantage of a loose service game from Alcaraz to break the Spaniard and get the set back on serve.
Wu saved break points in both the fourth and sixth games before Alcaraz took the set with a break in the 10th. The Spaniard saved a pair of break points in the first game of the third before pulling away for the win. Three matches into his title defense, Alcaraz said he feels better than he expected.
“Physically, I thought I was going to be dead after the first match, but I’m recovering really well,” he said. “I think my level is really good. I’ve got into the rhythm of the competition. I’m getting there.”
© 2024 AFP
