Alcaraz Cruises Past Paul To Reach US Open Quarter-Finals

Carlos Alcaraz delivered a commanding performance Monday to defeat American 20th seed Tommy Paul 6-4, 6-3, 6-4, advancing to the US Open quarter-finals in his return from a four-month injury layoff.

The 23-year-old Spaniard, playing only his fourth competitive singles match since recovering from a wrist injury that forced him to miss both the French Open and Wimbledon, produced a masterclass on Arthur Ashe Stadium to extend his Grand Slam winning streak to 18 matches.

Alcaraz, who won the previous two major titles at last year’s US Open and this year’s Australian Open, has dropped just one set en route to the last eight in New York. He will face American eighth seed Ben Shelton in the quarter-finals after Shelton defeated Stefanos Tsitsipas 6-2, 6-3, 6-4 later Sunday.

“I’ve been really focused on the recovery with my team, with myself, doing the right things off the court trying to be healthy and in good shape for the next round,” Alcaraz said. “Those days, if I’m practising or not, I’m trying to be chill and focus on the next round. So golf this year isn’t an option.”

The Spaniard has prioritized recovery over his favorite off-court activities as he manages his wrist condition throughout the tournament. His shot-making quality remained evident against Paul, with one sensational cross-court forehand winner early in the second set clocked at 103mph from an almost impossible angle.

Former British number one Tim Henman praised Alcaraz’s tournament performance: “If you would have given Alcaraz a blank piece of paper at the beginning of the tournament and asked how he’d want the first four matches to go, he would have scripted it exactly like that. He’s had a few slightly challenging moments but, in the important moments, he’s just come up with incredible tennis.”

Alcaraz has won all three of his tour-level meetings against Shelton, though American former player Jeff Tarango cautioned on BBC Radio 5 Sports Extra that the match will test Alcaraz’s wrist against Shelton’s powerful serve. “It’s going to be a real test to see how Alcaraz’s wrist is with a 149mph serve coming to that forehand,” Tarango said. “But Alcaraz should get through Shelton if his wrist is fine.”

Earlier Sunday, three American men advanced to the quarter-finals, boosting hopes of a first home-grown men’s Grand Slam champion since Andy Roddick won in New York in 2003. Frances Tiafoe defeated 2021 champion Daniil Medvedev 7-6 (7-1), 6-4, 7-6 (8-6) to maintain his perfect 10-0 record on Louis Armstrong Stadium. Tiafoe will face fellow American Alex Michelsen, who reached his first Grand Slam quarter-final with a 7-6 (8-6), 6-4, 6-4 victory over Argentina’s Tomas Martin Etcheverry.

Tsitsipas’ defeat marked the first year since 1877 that a player with a one-handed backhand has not reached a men’s singles semi-final at a major.

In men’s doubles, Britain’s Henry Patten and Finnish partner Harri Heliovaara, the top seeds, advanced to the third round with a 7-5, 6-2 win over Matteo Arnaldi and Jan-Lennard Struff. British ninth seeds Lloyd Glasspool and Julian Cash won 7-6 (7-2), 6-4 against Czech pair Adam Pavalsek and Patrik Rikl, while Joe Salisbury and American partner Rajeev Ram fought back to defeat French duo Theo Arribage and Albano Olivetti 6-7 (2-7), 7-6 (11-9), 6-4.