Carlos Alcaraz passed his first true test of the 2023 US Open Thursday night, defeating spirited South African Lloyd Harris 6-3, 6-1, 7-6(4).
Alcaraz received a second-set retirement from Dominik Kopefer (ankle) in his opening match, but got the opportunity to stress test his game against the powerful 26-year-old.
Forehand firing? Check. Defensive skills sharp? Check. Creativity and smiles flowing? Check. Fans entertained? Check. Check. Check.
HUMAN HIGHLIGHT REEL!!! 🎞️@carlosalcaraz | @usopen | #USOpen pic.twitter.com/WPO0v55NI9
— ATP Tour (@atptour) September 1, 2023
“I played a great match from the beginning of the match until the last ball,” Alcaraz said. “If I have to pick out something I think I played a good second set without many mistakes and playing my game.”
The youngest US Open top seed in tournament history, Alcaraz defended nine of 10 break points faced and recovered from being a break down midway through the third set.
Harris was genuinely competitive apart from a short period in the middle of the match and his big game (which yielded 25 winners) gave Alcaraz the chance to showcase his impressive defensive skills.
After failing to convert his first six break point opportunities, Harris took advantage of a sloppy game from Alcaraz to break to love for a 4-2 lead in the third set, but the recent Wimbledon champion claimed a boomerang break and soon after closed out the match in the tie-break.
“I did have a bad game in the third set when I got broken and I had to forget it,” Alcaraz said. “I stayed strong mentally and played a great return game to break back. It was very important for me to get another straight-sets win in the first rounds.”
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The Spaniard, who is looking to become the first back-to-back champion at Flushing Meadows since Roger Federer won five straight titles from 2004-2008, improved to 55-6 (18-3 on hard) on the season. He is chasing his seventh title of the season and third career major.
Harris, who frequently challenged Alcaraz with big second serves, was a US Open quarter-finalist in 2021 but missed the last six months of the 2022 season with a wrist injury.
Alcaraz will be pleased to have reached the third round without dropping a set, given his recent gruelling week at the ATP Masters 1000 event in Cincinnati, where all his matches went the distance, including a near-four-hour final against Novak Djokovic. The current World No. 1 spent more than 20 hours on court last year at Flushing Meadows to earn his maiden Grand Slam title.
Alcaraz will face a difficult test in the third round against gritty Brit and recent Washington champion Daniel Evans, who likely will come to net often and challenge the 12-time tour-level titlist to come up with winning passing shots. Evans rallied from a heavy first-set defeat to chase down Dutchman Botic van de Zandschulp 1-6, 6-1, 6-3, 6-3.
Although he leads their Lexus ATP Head2Head 2-0, Alcaraz expects a tough battle with Evans. “He’s a really tough player. Good serve and volley, good net game,” the Spaniard said. “I will have to return very, very well if I want to win that match.”