Alcaraz finds his form in New York, but dangerous American awaits

Carlos Alcaraz looked increasingly comfortable at the US Open in New York, beating China’s Wu Yibing 6-3, 6-4, 6-1 to reach the round of 16.

The Spanish star had not been fully satisfied with his opening matches, particularly his backhand. Against Wu, however, he delivered a considerably stronger performance. The Chinese player stayed competitive with aggressive tennis in the first two sets, but faded in the third.

Alcaraz, a two-time tournament champion and defending titleholder, completed the match without major difficulty. His next opponent will be American Tommy Paul, who advanced after defeating Kazakhstan’s Alexander Bublik 6-4, 3-6, 6-7 (4), 6-1, 6-3 in a match lasting almost four hours.

Daniil Medvedev, the seventh seed and 2021 US Open champion, also reached the fourth round. He defeated France’s Arthur Rinderknech in three sets, winning each 6-4, and will meet the winner of the match between American Frances Tiafoe and Monaco’s Valentin Vacherot.