Alcaraz shows destructive form, advances to US Open semi-finals

(Dan Tri) - Carlos Alcaraz easily won 6-4, 6-2, 6-4 against Jiri Lehecka on the night of September 2, thereby advancing to the US Open semi-finals. Alcaraz's next opponent will be Novak Djokovic or Taylor Fritz.

Carlos Alcaraz continued his perfect run at the 2024 US Open with a stellar quarter-final performance on the night of September 2, convincingly defeating Jiri Lehecka to keep his hopes of winning his first Grand Slam title on hard courts since 2022 alive.

The Spaniard cruised to a 6-4, 6-2, 6-4 victory to reach the semi-finals in New York without dropping a set. It was Alcaraz's first semi-final at a hard-court tournament since the 2023 US Open. He will next face either four-time champion Novak Djokovic or last year's runner-up Taylor Fritz.

Alcaraz celebrates his victory in the US Open quarterfinals (Photo: Getty).

Despite the seemingly one-sided scoreline, the Alcaraz-Lehecka match was not without its share of tension. Lehecka, one of six players to have beaten Alcaraz this season (in Doha in February), troubled the world No. 1 with some high-quality rallies.

However, that only fueled Alcaraz’s fighting spirit. He met the challenge in style, unleashing a series of spectacular drop volleys and daring shots that the Czech struggled to defend against. The highlight was a stunning drop volley at the end of the second set, capping off a 21-shot power play.

When asked if he watches his best shots, Alcaraz smiled and shared: “I don’t actively watch, but sometimes when I go into the living room, my brothers are watching my highlights, so I sit down and watch. Every time I watch my shots, I remember the matches.”

In addition to his artistic shots, Alcaraz also showed excellent serving ability, losing only 7 of 45 points after his first serve and not facing any break-points in the quarter-final match that lasted 1 hour and 56 minutes.

With 59 wins and a Tour-leading six titles this year, Alcaraz is well on track to surpass his career best of 65 wins and six titles in 2023.

The No. 1 ATP ranking is also on the line this week. Alcaraz has ramped up the pressure on formidable rival Jannik Sinner. If he can match or surpass the defending champion’s performance in New York, he will rise to No. 1 in the world for the first time since September 2023.

Alcaraz is in excellent form at the US Open (Photo: Getty).

“If I think too much about being No. 1, I put pressure on myself, and I don’t want that to happen. I just want to go out there, do my job, go after my goals and try to enjoy it as much as possible. The No. 1 spot is still there, but I try not to think too much about it,” Alcaraz said.

Alcaraz leads Sinner 9-5 in the head-to-head series and is seeded to meet the Italian in the final of the fifth consecutive tournament they have both played in. Sinner will face compatriot Lorenzo Musetti in the quarter-finals on the evening of September 3.

Despite the defeat, Lehecka can be proud of a significant campaign in New York, where he reached the quarter-finals of his second major and rose six places to No. 15 in the live ATP rankings, securing his first appearance in the world's Top 20. Lehecka has a 34-18 record at tournament level this season, highlighted by winning his second ATP Tour title in Brisbane in January and reaching the final at Queen's Club, where he was beaten in three sets by Alcaraz.

Source: https://dantri.com.vn/the-thao/alcaraz-the-hien-phong-do-huy-diet-tien-vao-ban-ket-us-open-20250903072338648.htm