Carlos Alcaraz showcased his impressive skills and passed his first real challenge at the 2023 US Open, defeating Lloyd Harris in straight sets of 6-3, 6-1, 7-6(4).
The Spaniard, who received a second-set retirement from Dominik Kopefer in his opening match, proved his mettle against the powerful 26-year-old South African.
Alcaraz’s forehand was firing, his defensive skills were sharp, and he displayed creativity and smiles throughout the match, entertaining the fans.
Alcaraz spoke about his performance, saying that he played a great match from the beginning until the last ball.
He added that he played a good second set without many mistakes and played his game to the fullest.
Defending nine of ten break points faced, Alcaraz showed his resilience and recovered from having a breakdown midway through the third set.
Harris, a former US Open quarter-finalist, was genuinely competitive, but Alcaraz’s impressive defensive skills allowed him to neutralize Harris’s big game, which yielded 25 winners.
After failing to convert his first six breakpoint opportunities, Harris finally took advantage of a sloppy game from Alcaraz to take a 4-2 lead in the third set.
However, Alcaraz did not lose his focus and claimed a boomerang break, closing out the match in the tie-break.
Alcaraz, who is the youngest US Open top seed in tournament history, is chasing his seventh title of the season and third career major.
He is looking to become the first back-to-back champion at Flushing Meadows since Roger Federer won five straight titles from 2004-2008.
READ ALSO: https://thecrux.org.ng/us-open-medvedev-lashes-out-to-fans-over-critics/
Alcaraz has improved to 55-6 (18-3 on hard) on the season.
Alcaraz will face a tough challenge in the third round against gritty Brit and recent Washington champion Daniel Evans, who rallied from a heavy first-set defeat to chase down Dutchman Botic van de Zandschulp 1-6, 6-1, 6-3, 6-3.
Although Alcaraz leads their Lexus ATP Head2Head 2-0, he expects a tough battle with Evans, who has a good serve and volley and a strong net game.
Alcaraz has acknowledged that he will have to return very well if he wants to win that match.
