A thunderbolt on the gigantic Arthur-Ashe court where the Spaniard Carlos Alcaraz, winner of the tournament in 2022, was dispatched by the Dutchman Botic van de Zandschulp (74e) 6-1, 7-5, 6-4, from the 2e US Open tennis round Thursday in New York.
A new face in world tennis, Alcaraz, already a four-time Major champion at 21, had not suffered a defeat at this stage of the Grand Slam competition since July 2021 at Wimbledon, his first year on the circuit.
Under the worried gaze of his coach Juan-Carlos Ferrero, “Carlitos” never had the solution against the Dutchman who had the answer to all the Spaniard’s variations, short game, long game, without being able to develop his usual power.
In the first set, Alcaraz did not manage any winning shot. In total, he only converted two break points (out of five), miserable figures for the young Murcian, former world number 1.
Winner of Roland-Garros and Wimbledon this year, Alcaraz pointed out that he was not invincible, and he still has some bad luck, such as his defeat in his first match in Cincinnati against the Frenchman Gaël Monfils in mid-August.
” To grow “
His backhand opens up a whole section of the table, where the British Jack Draper (25e), van de Zandschulp’s future opponent, is now the highest ranked among the eight players who can claim a semi-final.
Italian Jannik Sinner, on the other hand, strolled during his 2e round swallowed in 1 h 39 against the American Alex Michelsen (49e) 6-4, 6-0, 6-2.
“I beat him in Cincinnati so I knew what to expect,” he said briefly before leaving the Arthur Ashe court.
The world number 1 is moving forward and continuing to digest his busy pre-tournament news, with the revelation of his whitewashing by anti-doping after two positive tests in March, an affair which caused controversy on the circuit.
“I think the period made me grow, regardless of how things went, which will help me in the future. […] “It allows me to know who my real friends are,” he said, while several players denounced the opacity of the process and the feeling of a two-tier anti-doping justice system depending on the status of the players.
Sinner (23), who has never made it past the quarter-finals in New York, will face Australian Christopher O’Connell (87)e) Saturday to try to reach the last 16.
Russian Daniil Medvedev (world No. 5), particularly at ease at Flushing Meadows where he has already reached the final three times (2019, successes in 2021 and 2023), dominated Hungarian Fabian Marozsan (51e) 6-3, 6-2, 7-6 (7/5) to join the Italian Flavio Cobolli (31e).
Swiatek merciless
In the women’s competition, Iga Swiatek, who had struggled in the first round, inflicted her first 6-0 of the tournament on Thursday on the Japanese Ena Shibahara (39).e) which she eliminated 6-0, 6-1.
“I played well, much better than in the previous match,” admitted the Polish player, crowned in New York in 2022, and who inflicted a 6-0 on an opponent for the 68the times in his career.
A major figure in world tennis and in the tournament, which she won twice (2018 and 2020), the Japanese Naomi Osaka (88e) was eliminated by the Czech Karolina Muchova (52e) 6-3, 7-6 (7/5).
The former world No. 1 left the circuit in September 2022 to treat physical problems and her mental health before giving birth to her daughter Shai in July 2023. Returning to competition in January, she is gradually regaining her feelings but has not yet reached a second round of a Major.
World number 4, Kazakh Elena Rybakina, has withdrawn before her match against Frenchwoman Jessika Ponchet, the last French player in the running in New York.
Ponchet, who won her first Grand Slam match on Tuesday, will face the Danish Caroline Wozniacki (71e), former world number 1 who returned in January after a second pregnancy.