New York, Sept 4 (AFP\/APP):Carlos Alcaraz dug deep for the best tennis of his career when it mattered most and the 18-year-old Spaniard was rewarded with a dream upset of third-ranked Stefanos Tsitsipas.<\/p>\n
Alcaraz reached his first Grand Slam fourth round by upsetting the Greek star 6-3, 4-6, 7-6 (7\/2), 0-6, 7-6 (7\/5) on Friday at the US Open.<\/p>\n
“I have not words to explain how I’m feeling right now,” Alcaraz said. “I just don’t know what happened out there in the court. I can’t believe I beat Stefanos Tsitsipas in an epic match.<\/p>\n
“For me, it’s a dream come true.”<\/p>\n
Alcaraz is the youngest man in the US Open last 16 since 17-year-old American Michael Chang in 1989 and at any Slam since Ukraine’s Andrei Medvedev in the 1992 French Open.<\/p>\n
He became the youngest man to beat a top-3 player at the US Open since the rankings began in 1973.<\/p>\n
“In the beginning of the fifth set, I had to play really aggressive, the best tennis I’ve played. Was really tough for me,” Alcaraz said.<\/p>\n
“I didn’t give up. I believed in me in the last point. He was serving really well. I had to be aggressive until the last point. I did it. Was really good.”<\/p>\n
After being blanked in the fourth set, he out-battled Tsitsipas in a tension-packed final set.<\/p>\n
“One hundred percent he can be a contender for Grand Slam titles,” Tsitsipas said. “He has the game to be there.<\/p>\n
“In the beginning of the first set, (he) came really strong. Ball speed was incredible. I’ve never seen someone hit the ball so hard. Took time to adjust.”<\/p>\n
Alcaraz was even more impressive to the French Open runner-up down the stretch.<\/p>\n
“I’ve never seen someone play such a good fifth set,” Tsitsipas said. “I didn’t expect him to raise his level so much, especially after having lost the fourth set this way. He was a completely different player.<\/p>\n
“He dealt with (pressure) really well. That’s something that’s going to reach the top.”<\/p>\n
After firing a forehand winner on his third match-point chance of the deciding tie-breaker, Alcaraz collapsed onto the court in joy, thinking of his earliest supporters in his Spanish hometown.<\/p>\n
“When I fall into the court at the end of the match I thought my family and my friends, other people who was supporting me in Murcia, all my team also supporting me from the academy,” Alcaraz said.<\/p>\n
“I thought (of) every person that was supporting me from Murcia from the beginning of this history when I was a kid and everything. Was amazing.”<\/p>\n
Alcaraz was the clear crowd favorite at Arthur Ashe Stadium, roars rising for deserved dazzling shotmaking.<\/p>\n
“It surprised me, really. The crowd was behind me all the time, supporting me, pushing me up in every moment,” he said.<\/p>\n
“The crowd was important for me. I think without the crowd I couldn’t have the opportunity to play a great fifth set and beat Stefanos. The crowd was really amazing. I really loved it.”<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
New York, Sept 4 (AFP\/APP):Carlos Alcaraz dug deep for the best tennis of his career when it mattered most and the 18-year-old Spaniard was rewarded with a dream upset of third-ranked Stefanos Tsitsipas. Alcaraz reached his first Grand Slam fourth round by upsetting the Greek […]<\/p>\n
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