World No. 2 Carlos Alcaraz emerged victorious over 20th seed Jiri Lehecka, 6-4, 6-2, 6-4, becoming the fifth man in the Open Era to reach nine major semifinals before turning 23 years of age on Tuesday.
In contenting to regain the US Open title as well as the year-end world No. 1, Alcaraz’s flawless campaign sees him returning to the last four in New York without dropping a set, off the back of straightforward performances, on a level of his own.
The Spaniard, who leads the tour with 59 wins, took control of the high-quality opposition presented by his opponent, firing through a one-hour, 56-minute contest.
Either 24-time Grand Slam champion Novak Djokovic or 2024 runner-up Taylor Fritz will join him on Friday, battling for a place in the final.
All in all, the Murcia native dominated behind his serve, winning 84 percent of first serve points and 73 percent on his second delivery.
Moreover, the five-time major champion fired 28 winners (five aces) against 17 unforced errors compared to the Czech player, 16 and 23, respectively.
The 22-year-old did not face a break point throughout the entire match, converting four of nine break point opportunities he had.
For his part, Lehecka, 23, who reached his second career quarterfinal at Slam level, can be proud of his solid run at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center, which will see him making his Top 20 debut next Monday.
In his post-match press conference, the two-time ATP titlist commented: “I felt that against Carlos, if you want to beat him, you need to win at least a few of the big points, and he won all of them. Even when I played really good rallies, even when I tried to put him under pressure, go to the net, change the rhythm, do something, he was there, and he had an answer for everything I tried.
“Then, of course, I must say that he was serving better, and he was much more solid on return. He knew exactly what he wanted to play, the way he wanted to play, and he was getting me under pressure a lot when I didn’t serve well.”
On Monday night, title defender and world No. 1 Jannik Sinner booked his spot back in the quarterfinals by sinking 23rd seed Alexander Bublik with a statement 6-1, 6-1, 6-1 win in just 81 minutes.
Next, the 24-year-old will square off against 10th seed Lorenzo Musetti in an all-Italian showdown, bidding to reach back-to-back semifinals in Flushing Meadows on Wednesday.
Whoever comes out victorious from that match will face either in-form Canadian Felix Auger-Aliassime or 8th seed Alex de Minaur in the last four.
Should Alcaraz and Sinner paths cross in a potential championship match, the winner will not only become a two-time US Open champion but also secure the top of the men’s rankings.
“If I think about the No. 1 spot too much, I’m going to put pressure on myself, and I just don’t want to do that,” said the two-time Roland-Garros champion in his on-court interview.
“I just want to step on court, try to do my thing, follow my goals, and try to enjoy as much as I can. The No. 1 [spot] is there, but I try not to think about it too much.”