Alcaraz, Rublev charge into Round 3

NEW YORK: Carlos Alcaraz has charged into the third round of the US Open, beating Italy’s Mattia Bellucci 6-1, 6-0, 6-3.  Alcaraz has now won 41 of his past 43 matches while targeting an eighth consecutive tournament final.

The win ensures Alcaraz has already bettered his 2024 campaign in New York, which ended in a shock second-round defeat to world No. 74 Botic van De Zandschulp.

A five-time major champion, is competing in his 19th Grand Slam main draw, and has now reached the third round in 16 of them. Alcaraz, who is on a eight-match winning streak, next faces 32nd-seeded Italian Luciano Darderi, who beat American wild card Eliot Spizzirri 6-0, 7-6(3), 2-6, 6-4. It will be Alcaraz and Darderi’s first Lexus ATP Head2Head clash.

In another match on Thursday Andrey Rublev has advanced to the third round for the seventh straight year, defeating American wild card Tristan Boyer in four sets ( 6-3, 6-2, 5-7, 7-6). Rublev will next face qualifier Coleman Wong, who has defeated Adam Walton in four sets. 

Meanwhile Ben Shelton defeated  Pablo Carreno Busta to claim the battle of former US Open semifinalists and reach the third round of his home major championship. the result is 6-4, 6-2, 6-4. Fresh off his maiden ATP Masters 1000 title in Montreal, Shelton punched past the 34-year-old Carreno Busta, who made the final four in New York in 2017 and 2020. It marks the ninth consecutive Grand Slam in which Shelton has reached Round 3.

Shelton, who next faces wily French veteran Adrian Mannarino in the third round, is seeded to meet 2022 champion Carlos Alcaraz in the quarter-finals.

In other match, Lorenzo Musetti cruised into the next round defeating David Goffin in straight sets. The result of the game: 6-4, 6-0, 6-2.

Earlier, Novak Djokovic maintained his perfect second-round record in New York to reach the third round for tihe 19th time. The 38-year-old was unable to find his A-game for large periods against American qualifier Zachary Svajda, yet did enough to seal a 6-7(5), 6-3, 6-3, 6-1 victory. With his win, Djokovic advanced to the third round at a major for a record 75th time, surpassing Roger Federer’s tally of 74. The former No. 1 player in the ATP Rankings is seeking a record-extending 25th major and first since winning the US Open in 2023. He will next meet Cameron Norrie or Francisco Comesana.  (Agencies)

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