US Open: I am feeling strong, says Alcaraz

08 September,2023 09:08 AM IST |  New York  |  AFP

Defending champion Carlos Alcaraz cruises past Alexander Zverev; says he’s ready for big semi-final battle with Daniil Medvedev

Carlos Alcaraz celebrates his quarter-final win over Alexander Zverev on Wednesday. Pic/AFP


Carlos Alcaraz powered into the semi-finals of the US Open on Wednesday as rival Daniil Medvedev battled through a brutal heatwave to join the Spaniard in the last 4. Defending champion Alcaraz moved to within one win of a potential dream final with Novak Djokovic with an emphatic straight sets victory over German 12th Alexander Zverev. Zverev had emerged as a dark horse after a marathon five-set win over Italy's sixth seed Jannik Sinner on Monday. But the German's hopes of extending his stay in New York were obliterated by a devastatingly clinical performance from Alcaraz, who completed a 6-3, 6-2, 6-4 win in 2hr 30min on the Arthur Ashe Stadium court.


Alexander Zverev returns to Carlos Alcaraz on Wednesday

The victory leaves the 20-year-old Alcaraz firmly on course for another final showdown with 23-time Grand Slam champion Djokovic after their Wimbledon classic in July. Djokovic faces unseeded American Ben Shelton in Friday's other semi-final. "I'm feeling really comfortable playing on this court, playing in New York," said Alcaraz, who will face Russian third seed Medvedev in the semi-finals on Friday.

Also read: Asian TT C'ships: India's Sutirtha slays higher-ranked Chinese Taipei opponent


Daniil Medvedev

"I'm feeling strong. I think I'm ready for a great battle against Medvedev," added Alcaraz, who has dropped just one set en route to the last 4. Medvedev had earlier secured his place in the semi-finals with a 6-4, 6-3, 6-4 victory over compatriot Andrey Rublev in punishing, furnace-like conditions that the Russian said endangered players. New York has been sweltering in a heatwave this week, with high humidity and temperatures at Flushing Meadows on Wednesday hitting 35 degrees Celsius.

Tournament organisers confirmed that extreme heat measures were in effect for the quarter-final - but Medvedev was clearly unimpressed. At one point during the third set, the 2021 US Open champion muttered to a nearby TV camera "one player is going to die and they're going to see" as he grabbed a towel.

This story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed, agencies. Mid-day accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability, trustworthiness, reliability and data of the text. Mid-day management/mid-day.com reserves the sole right to alter, delete or remove (without notice) the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever

"Exciting news! Mid-day is now on WhatsApp Channels Subscribe today by clicking the link and stay updated with the latest news!" Click here!
us open carlos alcaraz sports news tennis news
Related Stories