Defending champion Carlos Alcaraz just dropped his most convincing win since returning from injury at the US Open, absolutely shutting down Tommy Paul in straight sets on Sunday. That dominant performance sets him up for a quarter-final clash with Ben Shelton, and man, this is gonna be a wild one.
Alcaraz Unleashes the Power After Injury Comeback
Alcaraz, the second seed, is playing his first tournament since a right wrist injury sidelined him back in April. He looked closer to his brilliant best against Paul, the 20th-seeded American, who had been his toughest opponent yet. The Spaniard ripped through the match with a 6-4, 6-3, 6-4 victory that lasted two hours and 20 minutes. He unleashed 33 winners, moving like a blur around the court and thwarting Paul at every turn. Alcaraz said he “played my game” and “tried to be aggressive all the time.” He grabbed the first break in the final game of a tight first set, then just took control, breaking Paul twice in the second and again early in the third. To seal it, he pulled off a gutsy hold of serve, saving a pair of break points with a swinging forehand volley and then a forehand winner for the only match point he needed. He was “really happy with the performance today,” and honestly, who wouldn’t be?
Shelton Brings the Firepower to Set Up Epic Quarter-Final
Speaking of fire, Ben Shelton has been red-hot, and he showed it by dismantling former world number three Stefanos Tsitsipas with a 6-2, 6-3, 6-4 win in just one hour and 52 minutes. This guy had needed four sets in each of his first three matches, but he absolutely raised his game for Tsitsipas. Shelton’s riding high after a strong August that included a title at the ATP Montreal Masters, and he blasted a dozen aces against Tsitsipas, never even facing a break point. Shelton said he “played a complete match from start to finish.” He’s hyped for the Alcaraz match, too, saying Alcaraz’s level has been “really, really impressive” and that what he’s done after five months out is “super-human.” Get ready, because Shelton predicts “fireworks on Tuesday night.”
Sabalenka on Her Own Path Towards a Three-Peat
Not to be overshadowed, two-time women’s defending champion Aryna Sabalenka is also making moves, booking a last-eight date with Wimbledon winner Linda Noskova. Sabalenka kept her bid for a rare US Open three-peat rolling with a 6-4, 6-3 victory over American Taylor Townsend. The Belarusian, with her world number one ranking on the line, is going to face a tough quarter-final against the sixth-ranked Noskova, who edged Marta Kostyuk 7-5, 5-7, 6-4. Sabalenka had to dig deep against Townsend, whose blistering returns and net play caused some headaches in a first set that opened with five breaks of serve. But Sabalenka’s sheer power and precision proved too much, and after falling behind 3-1 in the second set, she ripped off the last five games to seal the match. She was “happy that I was able to turn around that second set.” Noskova, on her end, needed six match points to finally get past Kostyuk, admitting she was “more than relieved” after such a tough match. The stakes are getting crazy for everyone in New York.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Yahoo Sports.
Leave a Reply