World No. 1 Carlos Alcaraz on Thursday edged closer to a US Open rematch with Italy’s Jannik Sinner as Grand Slam winners Aryna Sabalenka and Marketa Vondrousova booked their places in the third round.
Defending champion Alcaraz eased into a round-of-32 meeting with Britain’s Dan Evans after dispatching South Africa’s Lloyd Harris 6-3, 6-1, 7-6 (7/4) in 2 hours, 28 minutes at Arthur Ashe Stadium.
It means Alcaraz is just two wins away from a potential quarter-final collision with Italian sixth seed Sinner, who continued his serene progress through the draw with a 6-4, 6-2, 6-4 defeat of compatriot Lorenzo Sonego.
Photo: AFP
Alcaraz and Sinner last year produced an epic five-set quarter-final classic that was not completed until 2:50am — the latest ever finish in US Open history.
After their performances on Thursday, few would bet against a repeat of last year’s heavyweight slugfest in this year’s quarter-finals.
“I think I played a great match from the beginning to the last ball,” said Alcaraz, who is bidding to become the first man to defend the US Open title since 2008, when Roger Federer hoisted the trophy for a fifth straight year.
The 22-year-old Sinner looks to be firing on all cylinders on the evidence of his second-round performance.
The Italian conceded just 10 points on serve without giving Sonego a single break point throughout the 2 hours, 5 minutes encounter.
Sinner is to play 2016 US Open champion Stan Wawrinka in the third round today. Wawrinka, 38, rolled back the years to down Argentine 30th seed Tomas Martin Etcheverry 7-6 (8/6), 6-7 (7/9), 6-3, 6-2.
German 12th seed Alexander Zverev is also potentially lurking in Sinner’s path before a quarter-final with Alcaraz.
Zverev booked his place in the third round with a 7-6 (7/1), 3-6, 6-4, 6-3 defeat of compatriot Daniel Altmaier.
Also in Alcaraz’s side of the draw is 2021 champion Daniil Medvedev, who reached the third round with a 6-2, 6-2, 6-7 (6/8), 6-2 defeat of Australia’s 69th-ranked Christopher O’Connell in a late night match.
Medvedev looked to be heading for a comfortable straight-sets win before a wobble — double-faulting on match point and set point — took it to a fourth set.
“Tough match,” Medvedev said. “I don’t know why, but one moment in the match he decided to play much better. I don’t know why was the reason, but it became much tougher for me.”
Medvedev is yo play Argentina’s Sebastian Baez for a round-of-16 berth today.
Britain’s 2012 US Open champion Andy Murray slumped to a 6-3, 6-4, 6-1 loss to Bulgarian 19th seed Grigor Dimitrov.
Former world No. 3 Dimitrov, who saved three match points in the opening round, meets 2020 runner-up Zverev in the round-of-32.
While Murray tumbled out, fellow Briton Jack Draper advanced to the third round, upsetting Polish 17th seed Hubert Hurkacz 6-2, 6-4, 7-5 to set up a third-round meeting with US wild-card Michael Mmoh, who defeated John Isner 3-6, 4-6, 7-6 (7/3), 6-4, 7-6 (10/7) in what was the final game of the big-serving veteran’s career.
Another Briton, 16th seed Cameron Norrie also advanced, defeating Taiwan’s Hsu Yu-hsiou 7-5, 6-4, 6-4.
In the women’s singles, Britain’s Jodie Burrage saw her tournament come to an end after a one-sided defeat to second seed Sabalenka of Belarus, the reigning Australian Open champion.
Sabalenka prevailed 6-3, 6-2 in 1 hour, 14 minutes.
Sabalenka, 25, has reached the semi-finals or better at the past four Grand Slams and can replace Iga Swiatek as world No. 1 if she matches the Pole’s result in New York.
Another of this year’s Grand Slam winners, Wimbledon champion Vondrousova of the Czech Republic, could meet Sabalenka in the semi-finals.
Vondrousova, who made history by becoming the first unseeded woman to win Wimbledon in July, had too much firepower for Italy’s Martina Trevisan, winning 6-2, 6-2 in 1 hour, 20 minutes.
The ninth seed said afterward that she is adjusting to being the hunted rather than the hunter in the wake of her unexpected Wimbledon triumph.
“It’s a tough position,” Vondrousova said. “I feel like everybody wants to beat me. I’m just happy to be here and play good tennis.”
One of the players likely targeting Vondrousova is third seed Jessica Pegula, who was barely troubled on her way to a 6-3, 6-1 win over Patricia Maria Tig of Romania.
US hope Pegula, who is seeded to meet Vondrousova in the last eight, faces Ukraine’s Elina Svitolina in the next round.
Tunisian fifth seed Ons Jabeur, struggling with a bout of flu, was put through the grinder in a 7-6 (9/7), 4-6, 6-3 defeat of Czech teenager Linda Noskova.
In the first round of the women’s doubles, Taiwan’s Hsieh Su-wei and Wang Xinyu of China rallied to defeat Camila Osorio of Colombia and Linda Fruhvirtova of the Czech Republic 4-6, 7-5, 6-2.
Taiwan’s Chan Hao-ching and Giuliana Olmos of Mexico eased past Ulrikke Eikeri of Norway and Ingrid Neel of Estonia 7-5, 6-, while Chan’s elder sister Latisha Chan and Yang Zhaoxuan of China cruised to a 6-1, 6-1 victory over Russian duo Anna Blinkova and Varvara Gracheva.
Taiwan’s Wu Fang-hsien and Zhu Lin of China beat Yulia Putintseva of Kazakhstan and Katie Boulter of Britain 6-3, 6-3.
Additional reporting by staff writer
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