Carlos Alcaraz, world No.1 and defending champion, qualified Thursday with authority for the third round of the US Open by dismissing South African Lloyd Harris (177th) 6-3, 6-1, 7-6 (7/4).
“I think I had a very good game. If I had to remember something from this match, it would be the level at which I played from the second set. I have to manage to maintain it, ”analyzed Alcaraz.
After benefiting in the first round from the abandonment of Dominik Koepfer, who twisted his ankle badly in the first game of the match and had to throw in the towel in the second set, the Spaniard showed himself to be in full control for his first full game.
He thus recovered a break conceded in the third round before concluding in the tie-break.
“I had to forget this break, I had a very bad service game. I had to refocus. It is very important to win the matches in three sets in the first rounds,” he noted.
In the next round, the 20-year-old will face Briton Daniel Evans (28th).
Alcaraz will leave the place of world N.1 to Novak Djokovic at the end of the tournament, whatever the results are now.
