Alcaraz powers through as Djokovic battles back at US Open

Carlos Alcaraz cruised into the US Open third round on Wednesday with a ruthless straight-sets win, while Novak Djokovic had to work harder after a shaky start.

The 22-year-old Spaniard, seeded second, dismantled Italy’s Mattia Bellucci 6-1, 6-0, 6-3 in just one hour and 36 minutes on Arthur Ashe Stadium. He blasted 32 winners in a performance that never gave the 65th-ranked Bellucci a chance.

“I played great to be honest, from the beginning until the last ball,” Alcaraz said afterwards. “The less time I spend on court, the better for me, to go to bed early.”

He will face another Italian, 32nd seed Luciano Darderi, in the next round.

Djokovic, chasing a record 25th Grand Slam singles crown, dropped the opening set against American qualifier Zachary Svajda before recovering to win 6-7 (5/7), 6-3, 6-3, 6-1.

“That’s what I’m hoping, the deeper I go into the tournament, the better I feel about my game,” the 38-year-old said.

His win puts him into the third round in New York for the 19th time, equalling a tournament record. Next up for the Serbian great: Britain’s Cameron Norrie, who edged Argentina’s Francisco Comesana in four sets.

Elsewhere in men’s action, Belgium’s Raphael Collignon pulled off a surprise, outlasting 12th seed and 2022 finalist Casper Ruud in five sets. Fourth seed Taylor Fritz avoided any drama, beating South Africa’s Lloyd Harris in four.

On the women’s side, defending champion Aryna Sabalenka overcame a tight first set before dispatching Russia’s Polina Kudermetova 7-6 (7/4), 6-2. She now faces Canada’s Leylah Fernandez.

“The first set was super-tight, super-aggressive. I was glad I was able to handle that pressure … In the second set, I felt much better in the return game,” Sabalenka said.

Britain’s Emma Raducanu also impressed, beating Indonesian qualifier Janice Tjen 6-2, 6-1. Tjen had made history by becoming the first Indonesian in 21 years to reach a Slam main draw, but Raducanu’s win sets up a clash with ninth seed Elena Rybakina.

Filipina Alexandra Eala, who had already made headlines with a first-round upset, bowed out against Spain’s Cristina Bucsa.

Other winners included Jessica Pegula, Victoria Azarenka, Mirra Andreeva and Emma Navarro, all advancing with straight-sets victories.