New York,Ā Sept 5:
Carlos Alcaraz was already in the final by the time he dropped a set last year in the U.S. Open.
When it happened in his second match this year, Alcaraz tried to look at the positives. After missing four months with a right wrist injury, the extra work might help.
āI wanted to be quick, to be honest. Iām not going to lie,ā Alcaraz said. āBut at the end, I realized that just playing four sets, it was really good for me to test everything physically, to test my body, how I feel, and tomorrow how Iām going to feel after this match.ā
The defending champion rebounded from a quick deficit by winning eight straight games and beat Jaime Faria 4-6, 6-0, 6-3, 6-2 on Wednesday night.
The No. 2-seeded Alcaraz dropped his serve midway through the first set but soon was back to playing long stretches of flawless tennis.
āAfter that I just tried to be focused, tried to stay calm and Iām thinking that good things are going to happen again,ā Alcaraz said.
He didnāt drop a set last year until the final against Jannik Sinner, becoming the first man since Roger Federer in 2015 to go through his first six matches without doing so.
He then beat Sinner in four sets for his second U.S. Open title.
The 23-year-old Alcaraz then picked up his seventh major title at this yearās Australian Open and is on a 16-match winning streak in Grand Slam tournaments.