Carlos Alcaraz was speeding towards a runaway opening-round win at the US Open Tuesday night before needing to recalibrate after hitting a second-set speedbump against Australian Li Tu.
The 21-year-old extended his major match-winning streak to 15 after a 6-2, 4-6, 6-3, 6-1 win against the World No. 186 qualifier. Alcaraz aims to become the third man in the Open Era to win Roland Garros, Wimbledon and the US Open in the same year. Rod Laver (1969) and Rafael Nadal (2010) accomplished the feat.
“First of all, I'm really happy to get through and [have] a chance to be better in the next round,” Alcaraz said in his post-match press conference. “Obviously, I felt well on court. I think I hit the ball well. I moved well.
“[There are] a few things that I have to improve if I want to keep going in the draw, but obviously I have to give credit to him as well. He played really good tennis and surprised me a little bit in the second set. I leave the court happy with my performance."
[ATP APP]Wearing a sleeveless shirt as part of an all-black kit, the 2022 champion Alcaraz raced to a set and a break lead under the lights of Arthur Ashe Stadium. Tu, who was competing in his first match against a Top 50 opponent, settled in from a nervy start and began pressuring Alcaraz’s second serve with early returns.
Alcaraz dropped three consecutive games, including a topsy-turvy 10-minute service game at 4-5 in the second set. Tu, 28, converted his fifth set point to level the match.
After 18 unforced errors in the second set, Alcaraz polished his game from the baseline and looked to dictate play with his forehand. He stepped around his backhand and crushed the ball inside-out to draw errors from the Aussie's one-hander.
“The first set, I made just two unforced errors. The second set I made 18. That was the huge difference for me,” Alcaraz assessed.
“He started to play better, obviously serving better, playing more aggressive and not making a lot of mistakes that he did in the first set. But talking about myself, it was from two to 18 unforced errors, a huge difference for me."
Alcaraz created 19 break chances, converting seven of them, across the two-hour, 42-minute contest, which was his 60th match win at Grand Slam level. The four-time major champion hammered 50 winners and won 80 per cent of his first-serve points. More than half of his unforced errors came in the second set.
Up next for Alcaraz is 2021 quarter-finalist Botic van de Zandschulp, who beat Denis Shapovalov 6-4, 7-5, 6-4. The Dutchman won 61 per cent of his second-serve return points and committed 33 unforced errors, compared to the Canadian’s 52.
Tu was competing in a Slam for just the second time in his career and first since the 2021 Australian Open. He produced moments of superb shotmaking from the baseline and showed off quick reflexes at net. The Adelaide native soaked in the moment, often cracking bright smiles in the heat of battle. The crowd let out a chorus of, ‘Tuuuuuu’ in the latter stages of the match, a moment the qualifier will never forget.
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