Carlos Alcaraz marches on at Flushing Meadows, insisting there was no need for concern after he needed treatment on his right knee during an otherwise trouble-free demolition of Italian Luciano Darderi at the US Open.
After having his serve broken for the first time and also requiring the physio to treat him near the end of the second set, it felt like perhaps this could be the first wobble for the stellar Spaniard at this year’s New York major.
Yet it really didn’t look that way as the 22-year-old pummelled Darderi 6-2 6-4 6-0 to waltz into the fourth round while still not having dropped a set so far.
And he was quick to assure everyone after his one-hour 44-minute victory that there was nothing to worry about after he had taken a medical timeout at 5-4 in the second set following a nervous moment when he’d jolted his knee while landing awkwardly off a serve.
“I’m feeling good,” he told the Arthur Ashe Stadium fans after treating them to 31 spectacular winners. “It was just a precaution that I asked for the physio.
“When he broke my serve [with Alcaraz leading 4-1 in the second set] in the last point I felt something in the knee, but after five or six points it was gone. I just asked the physio to take care of the knee, so I had to be feeling good.
“I am going to talk to my team about it, but I’m feeling good.”
So good indeed that he reeled off the last seven games after the time-out to set up a fourth-round clash with Frenchman Arthur Rinderknech, who beat his compatriot, Daniil Medvedev’s conqueror Benjamin Bonzi 4-6 6-3 6-3 6-2.
“I just played such great tennis, great performance in general, so I’m just really proud about it,” enthused Alcaraz, who continued his extraordinary run of form which has seen him rack up 42 wins against just two defeats since April.
He hasn’t really made a mistake all week, apart from letting his brother cut his hair. Even his celebratory golf swing after his victory didn’t look too shabby.
Not even an early start could faze him. “I just tried to start awake, that was important,” he laughed.
“Starting at 11:30 am is not a schedule that I’m used to playing, so my first goal is to start well, to start focused. I think I started really well, pushing him to the limit, playing long rallies, and after that kept it going.
“I’m not a morning person. For me, it’s difficult to wake up in the mornings, so that’s a good thing today that I woke up early, I did the warm-up well, played good … It seems like I’m a Spanish guy!”
Content Source: www.perthnow.com.au