New York, Aug 28 (AP) Carlos Alcaraz advanced to the next round of the U.S. Open with a commanding victory in the second round, following an unexpected haircut mishap, a year after faltering at the same stage of the Grand Slam event.
The No. 2 seed, Alcaraz, who ended up with a shaved head after his brother's hair-cutting error, swiftly dispatched 65th-ranked Mattia Bellucci from Italy, with a clinical 6-1, 6-0, 6-3 win at Arthur Ashe Stadium. The match took just over 1 1/2 hours.
During the match, Alcaraz dominated the game, not facing a single break point and holding a considerable 32-11 lead in winners. This performance was a stark contrast to his second-round exit at Flushing Meadows in 2024.
That previous year, Alcaraz entered the match riding a 15-match win streak in major tournaments, bolstered by his victories at the French Open and Wimbledon, only to suffer a straight-set loss to Botic van de Zandschulp.
Against Bellucci, no such upset seemed possible.
"Yeah, I played great, to be honest," said Alcaraz, who secured his first of five Grand Slam titles at the U.S. Open in 2022. "Today wasn't his day. I tried to make the most of his mistakes." He and No. 1 Jannik Sinner have together claimed the last seven major titles. (AP)
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