New York, Sep 3 (AP) Carlos Alcaraz electrified the crowd at the U.S. Open, emphatically defeating Jiri Lehecka to secure a spot in the semifinals. The young Spaniard, seeded second, eased past Lehecka with a scoreline of 6-4, 6-2, 6-4 on Tuesday. Alcaraz wowed the fans at Arthur Ashe Stadium with a series of impressive shots, later egging on the crowd by cupping his ear for louder cheers. This marks Alcaraz's first hard-court semifinal at a Grand Slam since he claimed his maiden major title at the U.S. Open in 2023.
Lehecka acknowledged Alcaraz's display of talent, noting, “I kind of met the Grand Slam version of Carlos. He just showed that he is one of the contenders, for sure.” At just 22, Alcaraz finds himself in a Grand Slam semifinal for the ninth time, a feat only surpassed by tennis legend Rafael Nadal before turning 23, with 10 semifinals.
Alcaraz is set to face either Taylor Fritz or Novak Djokovic next. Notably, it was Djokovic who ended Alcaraz's run at the Australian Open quarterfinals. Should Alcaraz clinch the U.S. Open title for a second time, he will dethrone Jannik Sinner at the top of the rankings.
Alcaraz conceded, “It’s really difficult not to think about [being No. 1]. Every time I step on the court, I try not to think about it. If I dwell on it too much, I'm going to put pressure on myself, and I just don’t want to do that.” Before the crucial match against either Fritz or Djokovic on Friday night, Alcaraz plans to relax by playing golf with fellow Spaniard and 2017 Masters champion Sergio Garcia. Alcaraz jokingly suggested Garcia should offer him a handicap. “He has to give me at least between 10 and 15 shots,” Alcaraz quipped. “I’m not that good, Sergio, come on.”
Jessica Pegula makes the US Open semifinals again
In women's tennis, Jessica Pegula passed a significant milestone by reaching the U.S. Open semifinals once more, defeating Barbora Krejcikova 6-3, 6-3. Pegula, who struggled in her first 22 main draw Grand Slam appearances, broke through by reaching the final at Flushing Meadows last year. Her next challenge is a rematch with Aryna Sabalenka, who advanced due to a walkover after Marketa Vondrousova's injury withdrawal.
Pegula shared, “My biggest accomplishment last year was just getting past the quarterfinals. Now I can say I’ve done it twice.” Pegula has shown resilience despite being eliminated early in other majors this year, becoming the first woman since Serena Williams (2011-14) to reach back-to-back U.S. Open semifinals without dropping a set.
The 31-year-old is seeded fourth and aims for her first Grand Slam title, with only Amanda Anisimova as the other American still in contention. Pegula handled Krejcikova with control, ending the match on her first match point in less than 90 minutes. Reflecting on the match, Pegula commented, “She had some really good returns when I was serving at 4-1. We all saw what she did against Taylor, so I was happy that we're done.”
What else happened at the US Open on Tuesday?
In doubles action, Venus Williams and Leylah Fernandez are set to take on the top-seeded duo of Taylor Townsend and Katerina Siniakova in the quarterfinals. The match featuring Fritz against Djokovic serves as the evening's main event.
Who is on Wednesday's schedule at the US Open?
Wednesday promises an exciting lineup, starting with Felix Auger-Aliassime from Canada facing Australia's Alex de Minaur. Following them, Amanda Anisimova challenges the second seed, Iga Swiatek. In the evening session, Naomi Osaka, who recently ousted Coco Gauff, meets Karolina Muchova. The day concludes with a clash between men’s No. 1 seed Jannik Sinner and fellow Italian Lorenzo Musetti. (AP)
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