
Alcaraz Cruises Into US Open 4th Round Despite Early Start
Alcaraz Cruises Into US Open 4th Round Despite Early Start
Carlos Alcaraz shrugged off his dislike of early starts to dominate Luciano Darderi 6-2, 6-4, 6-0 and book his place in the US Open 2025 fourth round. The 22-year-old Spaniard, who had previously played evening matches on Arthur Ashe Stadium, delivered a statement performance in just one hour and 44 minutes.
“I’m not an early person,” Alcaraz joked after the match. “But I woke up, did my warm-up, and played good.”
Despite requiring a medical timeout for a minor right knee and quadriceps issue late in the second set, Alcaraz assured fans there’s “nothing to worry about”, stating the discomfort disappeared after a few points.
He broke immediately after returning from treatment to go two sets up and then raced through the third set without losing a game.
Now into the last 16, Alcaraz will face unseeded Arthur Rinderknech, who reached a Grand Slam fourth round for the first time after defeating Benjamin Bonzi 4-6, 6-3, 6-3, 6-2 in an all-French battle.
Shelton Retires in Tears After Shoulder Injury
Ben Shelton’s US Open dream ended in heartbreak, as the American sixth seed was forced to retire due to a left shoulder injury during his third-round match against Adrian Mannarino.
Shelton, 22, led by two sets to one but began showing signs of pain early in the fourth. Despite receiving treatment, his discomfort visibly worsened and he ultimately retired before the fifth set, emotionally overwhelmed.
“He probably would have won the match if he hadn’t gotten injured,” said Mannarino. “It’s unlucky for him, lucky for me.”
Mannarino, 37, advances to the last 16 of the US Open for the first time in his career, where he will face Czech 20th seed Jiri Lehecka, who defeated Raphael Collignon in straight sets.
There are no comments yet. Be the first to comment!