Alcaraz Dominates to Reach Fourth Round at US Open; Rybakina Advances as Raducanu Falls
In a day filled with thrilling tennis action at the US Open, Carlos Alcaraz surged into the fourth round with a commanding victory, while Emma Raducanu’s journey came to a disappointing end. The stage is set for more exciting matchups as the tournament progresses.
Alcaraz’s Impressive Performance
Carlos Alcaraz continued his impressive run at the US Open, charging into the fourth round with a commanding 6-2, 6-4, 6-0 victory over Italy’s Luciano Darderi on Friday. The Spanish second seed showcased his talent on Arthur Ashe Stadium, completing the match in just one hour and 44 minutes.
Alcaraz’s win sets up a meeting on Sunday with France’s Arthur Rinderknech, who advanced after defeating compatriot Benjamin Bonzi 4-6, 6-3, 6-3, 6-2. The 2022 US Open champion aims to finish the season on a high note after winning the French Open in June and falling short in the Wimbledon final last month.
Djokovic and Other Seeds in Action
Opening the day’s play, Alcaraz admitted to feeling nervous about his early 11:30 AM start. “I’m not an early morning person, so it’s difficult for me to wake up,” he said. “But today I woke up early, did the warm-up, and felt good.” Despite needing a medical timeout for treatment on his right knee during the second set, he reported no injury concerns afterward, stating, “I’m not worried about it.”
As Alcaraz celebrated his victory, all eyes were on the evening session where 38-year-old Novak Djokovic aimed to edge closer to a possible semifinal showdown with Alcaraz against Britain’s Cameron Norrie. The seventh-seeded Serbian is chasing a record 25th Grand Slam singles title in New York, where he has won four times previously.
Other men’s seeds in action included sixth seed Ben Shelton, who faced France’s Adrian Mannarino, and 17th seed Frances Tiafoe, battling Germany’s Jan-Lennard Struff. In an earlier match, Czech 20th seed Jiri Lehecka advanced with a solid 6-4, 6-4, 6-4 victory over Belgium’s Raphael Collignon.
Rybakina’s Triumph and Raducanu’s Exit
In the women’s draw, world No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka prepared to face Canada’s 31st seed Leylah Fernandez in a highly anticipated night match at Louis Armstrong Stadium. Sabalenka is determined to become the first woman to successfully defend the US Open title since Serena Williams achieved the feat from 2012 to 2014.
However, Emma Raducanu’s hopes for another magical run in New York were dashed as she fell in straight sets to Kazakh ninth seed Elena Rybakina, losing 6-1, 6-2. “I thought Elena played very well, and I found it very difficult to get any sort of rhythm in the match,” Raducanu reflected. “When these top players are playing really well, it’s difficult. The ball comes through so fast, and you feel like you just don’t have time to create anything.”
