Carlos Alcaraz Advances to US Open Semifinals
Carlos Alcaraz, ranked second globally, continued his impressive performance at the US Open by defeating 20th seed Jiri Lehecka in straight sets, with scores of 6-4, 6-2, 6-4. This victory on Tuesday propelled him into the semifinals at the prestigious Flushing Meadows tournament.
Historic Achievement
Remarkably, the 22-year-old Spaniard has showcased his dominance by not losing a single set throughout the tournament, making him the first man to achieve this feat in the US Open semifinals since Jim Courier accomplished it at the age of 21 back in 1991.
Semifinal Milestone
This semifinal will mark Alcaraz’s ninth appearance in the latter stages of a Grand Slam event, placing him alongside legendary players like Rafael Nadal, Boris Becker, Mats Wilander, and Bjorn Borg, all of whom achieved at least nine semifinal berths before turning 23 in the Open era.
Impressive Statistics
Throughout the tournament so far, Alcaraz has faced very little adversity, having been broken just once in an impressive 69 service games. This statistic is particularly noteworthy, as it is the fewest breaks suffered by any male semifinalist at the US Open since Nadal managed to avoid being broken in his 2013 semifinal run.
Alcaraz’s Winning Streak
Alcaraz, a five-time Grand Slam champion and the reigning US Open titleholder, has been on a phenomenal streak, winning 35 out of his last 36 matches since starting his campaign at the Rome tournament.
Lehecka’s Future
Conversely, Lehecka was aiming to become the first Czech male player to reach a Grand Slam semifinal since Tomas Berdych did so in 2017. Despite his loss, Lehecka can take solace in the fact that he will enter the ATP’s Top 20 for the first time when the new rankings are released on Monday.
