In contention to regain the US Open title and the top of the men’s rankings, second seed Carlos Alcaraz toppled world No. 82 Arthur Rinderknech with a 7-6(3), 6-3, 6-4 win after two hours and 12 minutes in Arthur Ashe Stadium.
In his on-court interview, the five-time major winner briefly assessed the match, outlining: “At the beginning of the first set, we were tight. We didn’t have breakpoints in the first set, but that didn’t mean we were serving well, because the percentage was really bad from both.
“I just [found] a good rhythm, a good position for the returns… I tried to make the most of the opportunities that he gave me, but there weren’t too many.”
On Tuesday, he will meet in-form 20th seed Jiri Lehecka, who beat Frenchman Adrian Mannarino 7-6(4), 6-4, 2-6, 6-2 earlier.
Alcaraz leads the Czech player 2-1 in their series; their latest matchup took place at the Queen’s Club final, where the former surged to victory on the grass surface.
The Match as It Happened
An entertaining contest saw the Murcia native hit 36 winners against 11 unforced errors, converted two of five break points, winning 85 percent of first serve points and 76 percent on second delivery.
He got off to an erratic start off the forehand wing but was able to stay the course throughout an edgy first set, featuring short rallies and decided by small margins.
Midway through the tiebreak, Alcaraz kicked up a level, and when Rinderknech, appearing in the round of 16 at a Grand Slam level for the first time in his career, hit a double fault, he rushed to seal the opener 7-6(3).
From there, he began building a consistent performance, finding breathing room to convert his first break in the second set, inching ahead 4-2.
As he fine-tuned his rhythm, particularly on the return, the Spaniard moved forward with authority to outclass his opponent at the net, winning 71 percent of the net points with finesse for the delight of the crowd in Arthur Ashe.
“I think my style of tennis fits pretty well with the energy here in New York,” he added. “Every time that I step on the court for a match, for a practice, the people are always there. The energy is special.”
Moreover, his superb court coverage, a result of his brilliant footwork, spoke a language only Alcaraz understands, sliding across the world’s biggest tennis stage to secure a two-set-to-love advantage.
Yet to drop a set, the 22-year-old produced his second break point in the third set for a crucial 5-4 lead.
Flawlessly, he served out for the set and the match, 6-4, becoming the youngest man in the Open Era to reach 13 major quarterfinals.
Rinderknech, 30, reached the fourth round of a major for the first time by defeating countryman Benjamin Bonzi in four sets.
Previously, he stunned the 18th seed Alejandro Davidovich Fokina in a five-set box office.
However, Alcaraz’s ruthless tennis display cut short his impressive run in New York.
Asked during his post-match press conference on the challenge of facing the two-time Roland-Garros winner, the French player commented: “I feel like they play knowing before you even hit your shot what you’re going to do. So, they are always early on what’s going to happen, and it’s quite complicated.
“Of course, sometimes you can push them maybe to their limits, but whenever it counts the most, then they play their best tennis.”
On Sunday, the player mentored by Juan Carlos Ferrero extended his leadership on tour by achieving 58 wins, a confidence-boosting result to continue unbeaten in Flushing Meadows.
As a result, for the first time in a calendar year, the Spaniard has reached the quarterfinals of all four Slams events in one season.