Daijiworld Media Network- New York
New York, Aug 28: Spanish star Carlos Alcaraz stormed into the third round of the US Open on Wednesday with a dominant straight-sets win, while Serbian legend Novak Djokovic overcame an early scare to keep his record title bid alive.
Alcaraz, the second seed, dismantled Italy’s Mattia Bellucci 6-1, 6-0, 6-3 in just one hour 36 minutes on Arthur Ashe Stadium. The 22-year-old fired 32 winners in a commanding performance. “I played great from the first ball until the last. The less time I spend on court the better,” Alcaraz said. He next faces 32nd seed Luciano Darderi of Italy.
Djokovic, chasing a record 25th Grand Slam crown, was forced to dig deep against American qualifier Zachary Svajda. After dropping the opening set, the 38-year-old hit back to win 6-7 (5/7), 6-3, 6-3, 6-1. “I’m hoping the deeper I go, the better I feel about my game,” he said, admitting that age has made recovery harder. Djokovic’s win marked his 19th appearance in the US Open third round. He next meets Britain’s Cameron Norrie.
Elsewhere, 12th seed Casper Ruud crashed out in a five-set battle against Belgium’s Raphael Collignon, while fourth seed Taylor Fritz and 17th seed Frances Tiafoe advanced with hard-fought victories.
Latvia’s Jelena Ostapenko bowed out after a 7-5, 6-1 loss to American Taylor Townsend, followed by a heated courtside exchange in which she accused Townsend of lacking “class.” Townsend later said she would “put it on TikTok.”
Britain’s Emma Raducanu marched into the third round with a 6-2, 6-1 win over Indonesian qualifier Janice Tjen, who had earlier upset 24th seed Veronika Kudermetova. Raducanu will face ninth seed Elena Rybakina next.
The Philippines’ Alexandra Eala, who made history with her first-round win over 14th seed Clara Tauson, exited after losing to Spain’s Cristina Bucsa 6-4, 6-3.
Fourth seed Jessica Pegula and two-time Australian Open champion Victoria Azarenka also booked their places in the third round. Defending champion Aryna Sabalenka was scheduled for a late-night clash against Polina Kudermetova.