2LT National News

(Photo credit: Mike Frey-Imagn Images)

Sporting a closely shaved head while taking the court for his first-round match at the U.S. Open, second-seeded Carlos Alcaraz had a close shave in all three sets while prevailing late Monday night.

The Spaniard defeated the United States’ Reilly Opelka 6-4, 7-5, 6-4, finishing just before midnight local time.

Alcaraz saved all three break points he faced and was competitive against Opelka’s big serve, breaking on three of his 11 opportunities. Opelka served 14 aces but offset that figure by mixing in nine double faults.

‘Today was a really difficult one,’ Alcaraz said in his postmatch interview on court. ‘Reilly is a great server and a really tough player with that serve. I couldn’t get the rhythm that I wanted to get in the match, but I’m just really happy with everything I’ve done today.

‘I think the return was one of the best things I did today and I just tried to play my best tennis, tried to be focused on the serve. All in all, I think I did a really great performance today.’

Asked if his speed was enhanced by the haircut, Alcaraz in turn asked the fans their thoughts about his new ‘do. The crowd cheered its approval.

Earlier Monday, No. 5 seed Jack Draper of Great Britain, one year removed from his first Grand Slam semifinal appearance at the U.S. Open, had to work for his first-round win.

Draper outlasted qualifier Federico Agustin Gomez of Argentina 6-4, 7-5, 6-7 (7), 6-2. It was Draper’s first competitive singles match since Wimbledon because of an arm injury.

‘I wasn’t too sure if I was going to make it here this year, but we did a great job with the team since Wimbledon to get myself back on court,’ Draper said in his on-court interview. ‘It wasn’t my finest performance, but credit to my opponent, he played some outstanding tennis and I look forward to hopefully improving and getting better as the tournament carries on.’

Draper won 65 of 80 first-service points (81.3 percent) but Gomez held firm, saving 5 of 11 break points and outpacing him 50-38 in total winners and 15-14 in aces.

Draper trailed 3-0 to start the third set, then battled back to force the tiebreaker. He won the first three points and had match point at 6-5, but Gomez saved it and soon extended the match.

Ultimately, Gomez couldn’t overcome committing twice as many unforced errors as Draper (46-23).

‘I’m not putting too much expectations on myself. I feel like I’ve put in the work. I know that if I can get that level back, I’m going to be really tough to beat,’ Draper said.

The first upset of a seeded player on the day belonged to Australian Adam Walton, who took down No. 22 Ugo Humbert of France 6-4, 7-6 (4), 5-7, 6-1. Walton won a whopping 61 of 69 first-service points (88.4 percent). Later, Argentina’s Federico Comesana ousted No. 28 Alex Michelsen 1-6, 6-3, 6-4, 6-4.

No. 9 Karen Khachanov of Russia shook off a first-set loss to top U.S. wild-card entrant Nishesh Basavareddy 6-7 (5), 6-3, 7-5, 6-1.

No. 11 Holger Rune of Denmark, No. 12 Casper Ruud of Norway, No. 15 Andrey Rublev of Russia all won in straight sets, as did No. 17 Frances Tiafoe of the United States, a 6-3, 7-6 (6), 6-3 victor over Japan’s Yoshihito Nishioka.

No. 24 Flavio Cobolli downed Italian countryman Francesco Passaro 7-5, 4-6, 6-4, 3-6, 6-3, while No. 31 Gabriel Diallo of Canada held off Bosnia’s Damir Dzumhur 7-6 (4), 4-6, 7-5, 7-5.

Brazilian up-and-comer Joao Fonseca defeated Serbia’s Miomir Kecmanovic 7-6 (3), 7-6 (5), 6-3. An all-American matchup saw qualifier Martin Damm sweep wild card Darwin Blanch 6-3, 6-4, 6-4. Sebastian Korda trailed 7-5, 6-4 to Great Britain’s Cameron Norrie when the U.S. player withdrew due to an apparent back injury.

–Field Level Media