US Open: Alcaraz tested but ultimately untroubled by Lloyd Harris

Carlos Alcaraz is safely through to the third round of the US Open courtesy of a largely straightforward win over Lloyd Harris, beating the South African 6-3, 6-1, 7-6 (4) under the lights on Arthur Ashe Stadium.

The first two sets went by in the blink of an eye, with the Spaniard’s trademark power and panache carving effortlessly through Harris’ defence.

The gulf in class during those first two stanzas was stark, as Alcaraz went about his work with a business-like efficiency to open up the night session on day four at Flushing Meadows.

Competitive third set wakes up Arthur Ashe crowd

However, the Arthur Ashe crowd were roused into the occasion as – out of nowhere – Harris broke the world No 1 to love in the sixth game of the third set to move 4-2 ahead.

The South African bursting into life with a much-improved display, combined with a slight drop-off in intensity from the Spaniard – perhaps due in some part to complacency creeping in – led to the contest suddenly reigniting.

Alcaraz broke back in the very next game, however, before fending off three break points to hold serve and gain parity at 4-4.

But Harris held firm. Defending his serve well and applying pressure onto his opponent’s, the world No 177 played well above his ranking to make the third set a competitive and entertaining affair.

Both held serve to take the set to a deserved tiebreak.

This, too, was close. Despite Alcaraz moving into a 3-1 lead, Harris pegged him back to 4-4.

From there, though, Alcaraz’s quality shone through yet again and he accelerated over the finish line to take the breaker 7-4 and sail into the third round.

Mental strength key to recovering in third set for Alcaraz

“I had to forget about that break [in the third set],” Alcaraz said in his on-court post-match interview.

“I played a bad game at 3-2 and I had to forget it.

“After that break, I stayed strong mentally and managed to play a great game in the return.

“To be able to win in straight sets is really important in the first rounds.”

Alcaraz will face British 26th seed Dan Evans in the next round. The Spaniard has won both the previous matches between the two in straight sets but is not taking his British rival for granted.

The world No 1 has won both of their previous encounters without the drop of a set and will a heavy favourite to reach the second week of the US Open as his title defence gathers momentum.

“We played a few times. It’s really tough player. Good serve and volley, good net game. It’s going to be really tough. I will play my best. I will have to return very, very well if I want to win that match. Let’s see how it’s going to be,” Alcaraz said after his win.

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New York (Grand Slam), other second-round results (USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center, hard, USD 44.700.000, most recent results first):

• Daniil Medvedev vs. Christopher O’Connell
• Sebastian Baez beat Felipe Meligeni Alves (Q): 6-7 (7), 6-4, 6-4 ret.
• Daniel Evans beat Botic van de Zandschulp: 1-6, 6-1, 6-3, 6-3
• Andrey Rublev (8) beat Gael Monfils: 6-4, 6-3, 3-6, 6-1
• Nicolas Jarry (23) beat Alex Michelsen (WC): 4-6, 6-3, 6-3, 6-3
• Cameron Norrie (16) beat Yu Hsiou Hsu (Q): 7-5, 6-4, 6-4
• Stan Wawrinka beat Tomas Martin Etcheverry (30): 7-6 (6), 6-7 (7), 6-3, 6-2
• Alex De Minaur (13) beat Yibing Wu: 6-1, 6-2, 6-1
• Matteo Arnaldi beat Arthur Fils: 3-6, 7-5, 7-6 (5), 5-7, 6-4
• Arthur Rinderknech beat Matteo Berrettini: 6-4, 5-3 ret.
• Grigor Dimitrov (19) beat Andy Murray: 6-3, 6-4, 6-1
• Jack Draper beat Hubert Hurkacz (17): 6-2, 6-4, 7-5
• Michael Mmoh (WC) beat John Isner (WC): 3-6, 4-6, 7-6 (3), 6-4, 7-6 (7)
• Jannik Sinner (6) beat Lorenzo Sonego: 6-4, 6-2, 6-4
• Alexander Zverev (12) beat Daniel Altmaier: 7-6 (1), 3-6, 6-4, 6-3
• Taylor Fritz (9) beat Juan Pablo Varillas: 6-1, 6-2, 6-2
• Frances Tiafoe (10) beat Sebastian Ofner: 6-3, 6-1, 6-4
• Zhizhen Zhang beat Casper Ruud (5): 6-4, 5-7, 6-2, 0-6, 6-2
• Jakub Mensik (Q) beat Titouan Droguet (Q): 3-6, 6-2, 7-6 (1), 6-3
• Alejandro Davidovich Fokina (21) beat Juan Manuel Cerundolo: 6-1, 6-4, 6-3
• Tommy Paul (14) beat Roman Safiullin: 3-6, 2-6, 6-2, 6-4, 6-3
• Rinky Hijikata (WC) beat Marton Fucsovics: 6-1, 6-2, 6-1
• Ben Shelton beat Dominic Thiem: 7-6 (1), 1-0 ret.
• Adrian Mannarino (22) beat Fabian Marozsan: 3-6, 6-3, 6-4, 6-1
• Jiri Vesely beat Francisco Cerundolo (20): 7-6 (5), 6-2, 3-6, 2-6, 7-6 (6)
• Novak Djokovic (2) beat Bernabe Zapata Miralles: 6-4, 6-1, 6-1
• Benjamin Bonzi (WC) beat Christopher Eubanks (28): 7-6 (6), 2-6, 6-2, 7-6 (7)
• Aslan Karatsev beat Roberto Carballes Baena: 6-2, 4-6, 6-3, 7-6 (4)
• Laslo Djere (32) beat Hugo Gaston (Q): 6-1, 6-2, 6-3
• Borna Gojo (Q) beat Mackenzie McDonald: 6-3, 6-4, 6-4
• Dominic Stricker (Q) beat Stefanos Tsitsipas (7): 7-5, 6-7 (2), 6-7 (5), 7-6 (6), 6-3