Carlos Alcaraz was absolutely exceptional in the evening at Arthur Ashe Stadium on Wednesday, dominating Italy’s Mattia Bellucci in three consecutive sets – 6-1, 6-0, 6-3 and he qualifed for the third round of the US Open.
The No. 2 in the world and 2022 champion demonstrated no weakness, a departure from last year’s second-round upset. Alcaraz dominated from the beginning, twice breaking Bellucci as he unleashed his dynamic forehand and signature net game skills in a one-sided first set. The Italian staved off a first-set bagel with one game, but it did little to shift power.
“I played great from the beginning to the last ball,” Alcaraz said in his on-court interview. “I know Mattia’s level and today wasn’t his day, but I tried to make the most of his mistakes, trying to be in the match getting a good rhythm.”
“I think a few things have to improve that I didn’t feel as good as I wanted, but in general I’m really happy with the performance today.”
Alcaraz increased the pace in the second set, running to a 6-0 lead without losing a single game. He was almost flawless, firing 32 winners, taking 86% of his first-serve points, and not conceding even one break-point chance for the entire match.
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To his credit, Bellucci fought harder in the third set. He held his serve in the first games and had some intense rallies with Alcaraz. But too much consistency from the baseline of the Spaniard won out. The decisive break at 4-3 swung the momentum solidly back in Alcaraz’s favor, and he completed the set and match with a 6-3 result, Bellucci serving up a double fault on match point.
Alcaraz will now play the third round, moving a step closer to securing a second US Open title with clinical authority.
