US Open: Alcaraz wins on return, aggressive Sabalenka advances

Defending men’s champion Carlos Alcaraz did not miss a bushed arsenic helium returned from a four-month wounded absence with a straight-sets first-round triumph successful the US Open.

Out of enactment with a wrist injury since April, Alcaraz passed his archetypal trial with flying colours, beating Russian Roman Safiullin 6-4, 6-4, 6-4 astatine Arthur Ashe Stadium, wherever women’s defending champion Aryna Sabalenka besides made it safely into the 2nd circular connected Monday.

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“It’s been a truly pugnacious 5 months for me,” Alcaraz, the satellite fig three, said.

“Being capable to measurement connected the Arthur Ashe, being capable to vie again, I couldn’t determine to travel backmost successful a amended tournament. It’s a truly peculiar spot for me.

“I tried to bask arsenic overmuch arsenic I can. I missed the crowd, I missed the energy, I missed competition. I missed everything.”

Alcaraz is trying to bookend his play with large titles aft his Australian Open triumph successful January made him the youngest antheral to implicit a vocation Grand Slam – the accomplishment of winning each Grand Slam titles.

Monday’s show mightiness not person been highest Alcaraz, but the seven-time Grand Slam champion unleashed his almighty forehand with expanding assurance and displayed his acquainted interaction astatine the net.

“I deliberation the level of tennis is going to beryllium amended for sure,” said Alcaraz, adding that helium was astir arrogant to person quelled his ain doubts astir his fitness.

“I tried to hide everything, I tried to enjoy,” the 23-year-old said.

Alcaraz’s creaseless advancement into the 2nd circular came little than 24 hours aft an ailing Novak Djokovic suffered his earliest Grand Slam exit successful 20 years, falling successful 5 brutal sets to Mariano Navone.

The tourney was already missing top-ranked Jannik Sinner, who has a knee injury, and Djokovic’s exit removed different imaginable obstacle for Alcaraz, who could person met the Serb successful the semifinals.

Spain’s Carlos Alcaraz hits a instrumentality to Russia’s Roman Safiullin during their men’s singles first-round tennis lucifer connected time 2 of the US Open tennis tournament, astatine the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center, successful New York City [Timothy A Clary/AFP]

Aggressive Sabalenka

Sabalenka’s bid for a uncommon US Open three-peat comes during a worrying driblet successful form, but the Belarusian prima roseate to the juncture successful a 6-2, 6-4 triumph implicit Camila Osorio.

Sabalenka was slowed by 23 unforced errors but belted 32 winners to much than compensate, her thunderous groundstrokes proving capable to spot disconnected a counter-punching hostile who stepped up her crippled successful the 2nd set.

“She brought the fight,” Sabalenka said. “She battled truly well, and I conscionable tried to enactment arsenic assertive arsenic possible.

“I deliberation I played great. She’s a pugnacious opponent, makes you enactment truly hard to get each point, truthful I’m blessed that I was capable to adjacent the lucifer successful consecutive sets,” she added.

World No 1 Aryna Sabalenka celebrates her triumph implicit Colombian Camila Osorio during their women’s singles first-round lucifer [Timothy A Clary/AFP]

World fig 1 Sabalenka has not reached a last since capturing the prestigious “Sunshine Double” of Indian Wells and Miami successful March.

Japan’s Naomi Osaka was forced to excavation heavy earlier overcoming Russian first-round hostile Anastasia Zakharova 7-6 (8/6), 7-6 (7/3) successful conscionable much than 2 hours successful a late-night duel.

Poland’s six-time Grand Slam singles champion Iga Swiatek sailed into the 2nd circular with a straight-sets triumph implicit China’s Wang Xiyu. Eighth-seeded Swiatek, who defeated Sabalenka connected the mode to her lone US Open triumph successful 2022, eased past Wang 6-2, 6-3 successful 1hr 28min.

Frenchman Arthur Fils, flying precocious aft his archetypal ATP Masters rubric successful Cincinnati, was brought backmost to world by Greece’s Stefanos Tsitsipas 4-6, 7-6 (7/3), 6-1, 6-4.

Tsitsipas bagged his archetypal triumph implicit 22-year-old Fils successful six encounters.

“I americium speechless, I don’t cognize what to say,” said Tsitsipas, a erstwhile apical 5 subordinate who has slumped to 53 successful the world. “It’s an astonishing commencement to the tournament.”

Canadian 3rd effect Felix Auger-Aliassime besides advanced, defeating Australia’s Rinky Hijikata 7-5, 4-6, 6-3, 7-5.

American eighth effect Ben Shelton overcame a rocky commencement earlier booking his spot successful the 2nd circular with a 1-6, 6-1, 7-6 (7/3), 6-2 decision of the Netherlands’ Tallon Griekspoor successful the nighttime lucifer connected Arthur Ashe.

Shelton looked retired of sorts arsenic Griekspoor roared done the archetypal acceptable with 3 breaks of service but turned the tables to triumph successful 2hr 35min.

“Started disconnected with a small spot of nerves tonight, but I recovered my rhythm,” Shelton said.

Top-seeded German Alexander Zverev volition statesman his run connected Tuesday.