1) US Open, Third Round, Carlos Alcaraz d. Stefanos Tsitsipas 6-3, 4-6, 7-6(2), 0-6, 7-6(5)
https://www.atptour.com/en/news/biggest ... 021-2-to-1There is no easy path to forge when following in the footsteps of countrymen as accomplished on the Grand Slam stages as those from Spain. Under the guidance of Roland Garros champion and former World No. 1 Juan Carlos Ferrero and touted as the next great Spanish prospect to eventually succeed Rafael Nadal, Carlos Alcaraz is fast learning to juggle the hype.
A maiden tour-level title in Umag in July set off the latest “youngest since Nadal” comparisons, but it was a third-round boilover on Arthur Ashe Stadium against World No. 3 Stefanos Tsitsipas that really sounded his potential. The 18-year-old had already brought down 26th seed Cameron Norrie in straight sets and Frenchman Arthur Rinderknech, but the Greek had reached back-to-back ATP Masters 1000 semi-finals in Toronto and Cincinnati leading in as was considered a strong contender to foil Djokovic’s Grand Slam bid.
Alcaraz had never passed the third round at a major and the World No. 55 looked to have met his match when he dropped the fourth set 6-0. But competing with the composure of a player far beyond his years, he shook off the fourth-set blowout and stuck with the third seed on serve throughout the fifth to force a deciding tie-break.
The crowd was baying for the upset and, not to be overawed, Alcaraz jumped to a 6/3 lead. The Spaniard held his nerve to secure his passage on his third match point, 6-3, 4-6, 7-6(2), 0-6, 7-6(5) and become the youngest player to reach the fourth round at a major since 1992.
“I can't believe that I beat Stefanos Tsitsipas in an epic match. For me it's a dream come true,” Alcaraz said. “I think without the crowd I couldn't have the opportunity to play a great fifth set and be able to beat Stefanos. I think the crowd was really amazing. I really loved it.”
Alcaraz, who went on to reach his maiden Grand Slam quarter-final in New York, was the youngest player to beat a top three opponent at a major since Michael Chang, 17, defeated World No. 1 Ivan Lendl and World No. 3 Stefan Edberg at Roland Garros in 1989. There was nothing but respect from a vanquished Tsitsipas.
“I've never seen someone hit the ball so hard. [It] took time to adjust. [It] took time to kind of develop my game around his game style,” Tsitsipas said. “It's one of these matches and one of these feelings where you pick up [your level] at some point of the match, biggest-grand-slam-upsets-2021-2-to-1you feel like you're in control, and it doesn't really go your way at the end.”
