2023 US Open: Alcaraz, Sabalenka through to quarterfinals
Carlos Alcaraz stayed firmly on course to defend his US Open title Monday as he reached the quarterfinals with a straight-sets win over Italy’s Matteo Arnaldi.
Alcaraz eased past the 61st-ranked Arnaldi 6-3, 6-3, 6-4 under the roof on Arthur Ashe Stadium and will face sixth seed Jannik Sinner or 2020 runner-up Alexander Zverev for a place in the semifinals.
The Spaniard beat Sinner in five sets in last year’s quarterfinals in New York in a match which set a record for the latest ever finish at the tournament of 2:50am.
Alcaraz and Sinner have split their six meetings, the Italian winning their most recent in Toronto en route to his maiden Masters 1000 title.
Alcaraz has a 2-3 record against Zverev, who appears to be regaining his best form after a horror ankle injury at last year’s French Open.
Aryna Sabalenka celebrated her ascent to the pinnacle of women’s tennis by powering into the quarterfinals of the US Open on Monday with a straight sets win over Russian Daria Kasatkina.
Sabalenka, who is guaranteed of becoming the new world No 1 next week following Iga Swiatek’s fourth round exit on Sunday, cruised into the last eight with a 6-1, 6-3 victory over the 13th seed.
The Belarusian will play China’s Zheng Qinwen on Wednesday for a place in the last four.
Sabalenka, who lost in the semifinals of last year’s US Open, is targeting her second Grand Slam title of the season after winning the Australian Open in January.
The 25-year-old from Minsk said after her win she was delighted to have secured the No 1 ranking – but admitted she would have preferred to have beaten Swiatek in the final in New York.
