Carlos Alcaraz powered into the third round of the U.S. Open on Wednesday with a dominant 6-1 6-0 6-3 win over Italy’s Mattia Bellucci, admitting afterwards that memories of last year’s shock second-round exit were weighing on his mind.
The Spaniard broke his opponent’s serve seven times without facing a single break point in the first match of the evening session on Arthur Ashe Stadium, sending down 32 winners and winning 86% of his first serve points.
Second seed Alcaraz, champion in 2022, ensured there would be no repeat of his early departure last year, setting the tone by breaking Bellucci twice at the start of the opening set, showcasing his powerful forehand and sharp volleys.
“I played great from the beginning to the last ball,” Alcaraz said in his on-court interview. “I know Mattia’s level and today wasn’t his day. I tried to make the most of his mistakes, trying to be in the match getting a good rhythm.”
The Italian got a cheer from the crowd when he got on the board to avoid a bagel in the first set, but there was no stopping Alcaraz from delivering a flawless 6-0 sweep in the second.
Bellucci struggled to find any rhythm against the Spaniard’s aggression from the baseline.
Afterwards, Alcaraz said that his straight-sets loss to Botic van de Zandschulp at the same stage last year had been playing on his mind.
“If I’m honest, I thought about last year when I stepped on the court. Some bad thoughts,” he said. “I was nervous about it, like thinking, okay, I don’t want to do the same thing as I did last year, losing in the second round.
“I think I played a really solid match today. I just set some goals at the beginning of the match, which I think I did pretty well.
“There are some things that I have to improve that I didn’t do as well as I wanted, but in general, really happy.”
Alcaraz marked the win with the same golf swing celebration he produced after his opening round victory over Riley Opelka, where he was watched on by five-time major champion Rory McIlroy.
“It’s getting better with the tennis racket this year,” Alcaraz said. “I have to say it. Yeah, I did it in the first round because Rory was there, and I think I own it.”
Next up for Alcaraz is a third-round clash with Italian Luciano Darderi.
(Reuters)
