Alcaraz out to cool, calm Dutch spoiler

Carlos Alcaraz crashed to defeat on Thursday in the US Open second round with the winner of two Grand Slams this season losing 6-1, 7-5, 6-4 to Botic van de Zandschulp.

The 74th-ranked Dutchman who came to the match with a negative 12-18 record this season, sent the third seed to a second major loss in three matches. he had not won back-to-back matches all season.

Just over a fortnight ago, Alcaraz destroyed a racquet as he played a shocker of a match, losing to Gael Monfils in his first outing at Cincinnati. his performance here was equally lacklustre. 

Challenger BVDZ ended the 15-match win streak of the Spaniard as the Alcaraz team box looked on in horror.

The Dutchman showed little emotion after the biggest win of his modest career.

“I’m a little at a loss for words. It was an incredible evening, my first night session on Ashe (court).

“From point one I believed that I could make a chance.. you see how sometimes it all turns out.

“I defended well and won an unbelievable amount of points at the net.  I did really well today.”

The outsider served out the upset with no drama.

“I had some nerves closing out the match, But if you want to beat one of these guys you have to be calm.”

Alcaraz lost serve twice in the opening set and did not produce a single winner in the first chapter.

Trailing two sets and down a break in the third, he brokeback but threw away his fightback opportunity as he lost serve again for 4-5 before his opponent served out the shocker.. 

No. 5 seed Daniil Medvedev defeated Fabian Marozsan 6-3, 6-2, 7-6 (5) as the 2021 tournament winner claimed his 16th Grand Slam success of the season against three defeats. Open final and Wimbledon SF.

Britain’s Dan Evans, who won the five-and-a-half-hour longest match ever played at the event 48 hours earlier, kept it shorter by half in his second contest, defeating Mariano Navone 6-4, 6-3, 6-3.

American Tommy Paul won as Aussie Max Purcell retired trailing 7-5, 6-0, 1-0.

Two-time women’s winner Naomi Osaka went down 6-3, 7-6 (5) to Karolina Muchova, the 52nd-ranked Czech who has missed nearly 18 months of play during four seasons of injury dramas including wrist surgery.

Osaka, who returned from pregnancy at the start of this year, was unable to get her game uncorked, with Muchova claiming the opening set in just over half an hour.

The Japanese player with four Grand Slam titles failed to turn the match around against the 2023 Roland Garros finalist.

Muchova, who ranked eighth in the world at her best, saved three set points in the second set as Osaka tried desperately to take the second-round match into a deciding set.

But her forehand let her down with five errors in the tenth game with her trio of set points wasted.

Muchova, playing only her 14th match of 2024, rallied in the tiebreaker from 2-4 down and advanced to victory as Osaka volleyed long.

“It was crazy energy, I’m happy I performed the way I did,” the 28-year-old Czech said. “It was really amazing.

“My biggest win this year is that I can play again. I’m grateful that I made it here; this victory is the cherry on top.”

Osaka had her regrets: “During the pressure moments I got nervous. I don’t know if I just have to keep playing more matches and get used to that feeling, especially on a really big stage.”Honestly, if I get past the disappointment, I feel pretty proud of myself to have gotten that many opportunities while still feeling like I could have played much better, so..”

She added: “It’s a little rough because I do take these losses really personally. 

“It’s like a dramatic word, but I feel like my heart dies every time I lose. It sucks a lot, but I’ve been trying to be more mature and learn and talk more about
them.”

Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova lined up a match with Iga Swiatek through her 5-7, 6-1, 6-2 comeback win over Elisabetta Cocciaretto.

Main photo: Carlos Alcaraz faces the press after shock second round defeat – by International Sports Fotos