By Shrivathsa Sridhar for Reuters in New York.
Defending champion Carlos Alcaraz underlined his status as the man to beat at the U.S. Open with a ruthless 6-3 6-4 6-1 victory over China’s Wu Yibing on Friday as he reached the fourth round and continued his bid for a third title at Flushing Meadows.
The victory extended Alcaraz’s match-winning streak at the Grand Slams to 17 following his triumph at Flushing Meadows last year and his Australian Open win in February, the latter helping him to become the youngest man to complete the career Grand Slam.
The Spaniard arrived in New York having missed nearly five months of action with a wrist injury and has looked increasingly assured with each passing round, although Wu briefly halted his early momentum by recovering a break in the opening set.
World number 113 Wu, bidding to become the first Chinese man to make the last 16 of a Grand Slam in the professional era, was unable to build on that bright spell on Arthur Ashe Stadium and Alcaraz reasserted his authority to move ahead.
The seven-times major champion’s speed around the court and relentless accuracy were on full display in the second set, but Wu’s stubborn resistance drew a scream of frustration from him before he conjured up the magic needed to double his lead.
With the finish line in sight, the 23-year-old unleashed a huge roar as he broke for a 3-1 lead in the third set and pulled clear of Wu for a comprehensive victory that set up a meeting with American 20th seed Tommy Paul.
Meanwhile Aryna Sabalenka arrived in New York amid concern over a frustrating slump in her game but looked perfectly in form, never facing a break and launching 10 aces to blaze past Uzbekistan’s Kamilla Rakhimova 6-3 6-4.
Elsewhere Venus and Serena Williams return to Flushing Meadows later on Friday, when the twice U.S. Open women’s doubles champions open the night session in Arthur Ashe Stadium.