US Open: Carlos Alcaraz cruises into 2025 semifinals

Alcaraz dominated Czech subordinate Jiri Lehecka successful the quarters with the Spaniard yet to suffer a acceptable astatine this year’s event.

Second effect Carlos Alcaraz has yet to driblet a acceptable astatine Flushing Meadows and cruised into the US Open semifinals, demolishing Czech Jiri Lehecka 6-4 6-2 6-4 connected Arthur Ashe Stadium.

Alcaraz had the assemblage successful the thenar of his manus connected Tuesday arsenic helium fired disconnected 28 winners and ne'er faced a interruption point, putting connected yet different astir pristine performance. He volition adjacent play either 24-times large victor Novak Djokovic oregon American 4th effect Taylor Fritz.

Lehecka is 1 of the fewer players to bushed Alcaraz this season, winning successful the Doha quarterfinals, but was outclassed this clip astir and could lone ticker helplessly arsenic the Spaniard’s forehand victor zipped by connected lucifer point.

“If you amusement the hostile you’re fresh, you’re capable to play two, three, much hours, to play agelong rallies, it’s giving him the mindset of this is going to beryllium truly tough,” said Alcaraz.

“The mode that I locomotion betwixt points, with cognition – I’m fresh, I’m truly bully physically, I deliberation it’s truly important to amusement the hostile that they are going to sweat a lot, and they are going to person to tally a batch if helium wants to bushed me.”

Alcaraz broke successful the archetypal game, helped connected his mode by a brace of Lehecka treble faults, and the Spaniard got the assemblage going arsenic helium triumphed successful a thrilling, cat-and-mouse speech astatine the nett successful the 10th game, sending a backhand victor streaking past the Czech.

The 2022 champion kept the momentum going successful the 2nd set, converting a interruption constituent astatine the nett successful the archetypal game, and Lehecka became visibly agitated arsenic helium went down different interruption with a treble responsibility successful the seventh game.

Alcaraz smiled successful disbelief arsenic helium nailed a bid of precise shots to acceptable up a interruption constituent successful the seventh crippled of the last set, but Lehecka dug successful to hold.

Alcaraz fto retired a triumphant cheer arsenic helium prevailed successful a 12-shot rally connected interruption constituent successful the ninth crippled and deployed his play plaything solemnisation to the delight of chap Spaniard and 2017 Masters champion Sergio Garcia, who was successful attendance.

“I conscionable played a truly – oregon astir – cleanable match,” helium said. “I’m conscionable feeling large and bare to marque it.”

The five-times large victor has lone been breached erstwhile truthful acold successful the tourney and could retake the fig 1 satellite ranking from Italy’s Jannik Sinner, though helium is trying not to deliberation astir it.

“If I deliberation astir the fig 1 spot excessively overmuch past I’m going to enactment unit connected myself and I don’t privation to bash that,” helium said.

Alcaraz, astatine conscionable 22, is successful the semifinals astatine a expansive slam for the ninth time. Only Rafael Nadal with 10 has much earlier turning 23 [Kena Betancur/AFP]