US Open: Champion Alcaraz gets easy start

NEW YORK, August 30

Carlos Alcaraz has surrendered the No. 1 world ranking but got his US Open title defence off to an easy start as injured German Dominik Koepfer retired against the 20-year-old top seed on Tuesday. The season’s final Grand Slam began on Monday with a change at the top after Novak Djokovic demolished Frenchman Alexandre Muller to ease into the second round — a result that meant the Serb will replace Alcaraz as world No. 1 when the rankings are updated on September 11.

But Alcaraz will have the No. 1 attached to his name for the duration of the Flushing Meadows fortnight and advanced to the second round after Koepfer twisted his ankle minutes into the match and later retired with the Spaniard up 6-2 3-2.

Alcaraz, bidding to become the first man to retain his US Open crown since Roger Federer won five straight from 2004 to 2008, appeared unsteady at times on the North American hardcourts ahead of the season’s final Grand Slam but kept his composure on Tuesday with few errors.

“I was not thinking about defending the title. I was not thinking that I was the champion last year,” he said. “I am just focussing on playing my best level, to recover the level that I played last year, try to do the same things. That’s the only thing that I’m thinking right now,” he added.

With Alcaraz and Djokovic hogging the spotlight, Daniil Medvedev had been the forgotten man but the third-seeded Russian remains a threat to claim his second US Open title in three years.

He got everyone’s attention when he dispatched Hungarian Attila Balazs 6-1 6-1 6-0 in a speedy affair, firing off 41 winners to set up a second round meeting with Australian Christopher O’Connell.

No trouble for Sabalenka

Second seed Aryna Sabalenka sent off Belgian Maryna Zanevska 6-3 6-2, closing out the action on Louis Armstrong Stadium with 27 winners. “I think she played an unbelievable match — she fought until the end,” the Australian Open champion said in on-court remarks. “I think I’m most pleased with my focus.” — Reuters

Highlights

Double century

Briton Andy Murray, 36, secured his 200th Grand Slam win after a 6-2 7-5 6-3 victory over Frenchman Corentin Moutet to advance to the second round. The 2012 champion said he was playing some of the best tennis on a consistent level since 2017. He faces Grigor Dimitrov in the second round. The Bulgarian 19th seed fought back from two sets down to clinch a 6-7(9) 6-7(5) 6-1 7-5 7-6(9) victory against Slovakia’s Alex Molcan, securing a second-round berth in front of an ecstatic crowd.

Old guard

Former US Open champion Stan Wawrinka said he still had the game for the grandest stage after the Swiss veteran became the oldest man to win a singles contest at the tournament since a 40-year-old Jimmy Connors in 1992. The 38-year-old, who claimed the last of his three Grand Slam titles at New York in 2016, rolled back the years to outclass Yoshihito Nishioka 7-6(5) 6-2 6-4.

Great Alexander

German 12th seed Alexander Zverev had little trouble overwhelming little known Australian Aleksandar Vukic 6-4 6-4 6-4.

SVITOLINA returns to New York

Elina Svitolina beat Anna-Lena Friedsam 6-3 6-1 in a first-round match that marked the Ukrainian’s return to the tournament after missing last year’s event. Third-seeded American Jessica Pegula beat Italy’s Camila Giorgi 6-2 6-2.

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