Alcaraz’s next foe is Matteo Arnaldi, a 22-year-old from Italy who is ranked 61st
Published Date – 06:29 PM, Sun – 3 September 23
Spain’s Carlos Alcaraz celebrates a point against Britain’s Daniel Evans during their US Open tennis tournament men’s singles third round match at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center in New York City, on September 2, 2023. (Photo by KENA BETANCUR / AFP)
New York: Alcaraz was by no means perfect during a 6-2, 6-3, 4-6, 6-3 victory over the 26th-seeded Dan Evans in the US Open’s third round on Saturday — there was that wayward set, after all — but the defending champion produced enough moments of brilliance to keep himself smiling and his many fans in New York roaring in approval.
To hear the No. 1-seeded Alcaraz explain it, “a lot of different” possibilities enter his mind in the midst of a point — “the dropshot, big forehand, go to the net, multiple things” — before he selects which stroke to try. It can make things “difficult” on occasion, he said.
Alcaraz’s next foe is Matteo Arnaldi, a 22-year-old from Italy who is ranked 61st. Arnaldi, who had won a grand total of one Grand Slam match before this tournament, reached the fourth round by eliminating No. 16 seed Cameron Norrie of Britain 6-3, 6-4, 6-3.
The women’s fourth round will feature No. 2 Aryna Sabalenka against No. 13 Daria Kasatkina, and No. 5 Ons Jabeur against No. 23 Zheng Qinwen.
Sabalenka — who won the Australian Open in January and can overtake Iga Swiatek at No. 1 in the WTA rankings depending on their results at the U.S. Open — defeated Clara Burel and has dropped a total of just 12 games through three matches so far.
