It’s tough to say whether Carlos Alcaraz was truly tested or not in his straight sets defeat of the French world No.82 Arthur Rinderknech.
On reflection, the 7-6(3), 6-3, 6-4 scoreline looked routine for the Spaniard, but in that first set, he often seemed unnerved by the razor-sharp precision of Rinderknech’s serving.
But on the other hand, once he powered through that first-set tie-break, there was never really anything Rinderknech could do to stop him, and given some of the shot-making on display, both players knew it. Alcaraz improved his first-serve percentage over the next two sets, after a shaky 47% in the opener. Once he corrected that, the rest of the match was on his racket, and it was a sublime racket for a game to be placed on.
After his victory, Alcaraz spoke in his post-match on-court interview with Mary-Jo Fernandez, displaying his usual grace and humour while reflecting on his performance.
“The beginning of the first set we were tight. We didn’t have break points in the first set but it didn’t mean we were serving good because the percentage was really, really bad from both so I think I just got a good rhythm, good position for the return.
“I tried to make the most of the opportunities he gave me….it was not too many. I’m just glad in those points I played a really good tennis, aggressive. I really liked it and I got a good rhythm in the second set and I just tried to keep it going.”
When asked about what makes him such a threat at Flushing Meadows, Alcaraz was quick with his praise of the unique atmosphere in New York.
“I think my style of tennis suits pretty well to the energy here in New York. Every time that I step on court for a match, step on the court for a practice, the people are always there. The energy is special, playing day session, playing night session, it doesn’t matter. The people are always there, enjoying tennis, bringing the best energy possible to the match so I just love it and I think that’s why I play my best tennis here, in New York.
The first set was a real test for Alcaraz, with Rinderknech standing toe-to-toe with the world No. 2. Despite both posting poor first-serve percentages, they were nearly flawless once the ball was in play, which inevitably drew them into a tie-break.
Early in the tie-break, a poor volley from Alcaraz gifted Rinderknech a mini-break and the chance to pull clear, but the Frenchman squandered it with a double fault. From there, Alcaraz shifted into a higher gear, as he so often does in tie-breaks. He produced a sumptuous volley to pass Rinderknech at the net and, from that moment, dropped only one more point on his way to clinching the set after a battling hour.
The second set followed a similar pattern to the first, with both players having exceptional service games to get to 2-2. Alcaraz then claimed his next service game in just under ninety seconds to go 3-2 ahead, then started reading the Frenchman’s serve placement to get three break points, the first for either player in the match. He took it, and a 4-2 lead, with another spectacular volley.
With his forehand working so well it could have left scorch marks on the court, Alcaraz consolidated the break, despite a patchy service game in which he had to save two break points. After a spirited hold from Rinderknech, the Spaniard then served nearly flawlessly to move two sets up.
Rinderknech showed no signs of letting up on his effort in the third set, still scrapping for every point, but with Alcaraz operating on a higher plane it always had the feel of an uphill climb for the Frenchman. Even at 4-4, the Spaniard’s shot variations, as well as the scoreboard, were probably starting to play on the mind of the world No. 82.
This was when Alcaraz pounced. He produced two beautiful forehands to earn three break points, then drew an error from Rinderknech to move 5-4 ahead. From there he added a touch of exhibition to the finish, including a smooth lob that even had his opponent smiling. He converted the first of his two match points with a peach of a second serve that Rinderknech could only dump into the net.
It was not a perfect performance from the Spaniard, but he was likely operating at only 50% of his ability once he got through that tricky opening set, and even at that level he remains a frightening prospect as the final Slam of the season reaches its closing stages.
Alcaraz will face the Czech 20th seed, Jiří Lehečka, in the quarter-finals.
