Carlos Alcaraz Cruises Past Tommy Paul, Linda Noskova Reaches First-Ever US Open Quarterfinal

Carlos Alcaraz kept his US Open title defence firmly on course, overcoming American Tommy Paul 6-4, 6-3, 6-4 to book his place in the quarterfinals in New York.

The second-seeded Spaniard faced some early resistance from Paul, who tried to use the home crowd and his aggressive approach to disrupt Alcaraz’s rhythm. But the defending champion stayed composed, soaking up the American’s power before finding opportunities to turn defence into attack.

A late break proved decisive in the opening set, after which Alcaraz steadily tightened his grip on the contest. Paul struggled to match the Spaniard’s intensity from the baseline as Alcaraz moved through the next two sets to complete a straight-sets victory.

The win extended Alcaraz’s US Open winning streak to 11 matches and marked his 15th Grand Slam quarterfinal. It was also his fifth appearance in the last eight at Flushing Meadows.

ALCARAZ MARCHES ON

Alcaraz will meet either eighth-seeded American Ben Shelton or Stefanos Tsitsipas in the quarterfinals.

His progress is particularly notable after he spent four months away from competitive tennis with a wrist injury. However, the Spaniard has looked increasingly comfortable with each match in New York, raising expectations that his best tennis is still to come.

Elsewhere in the women’s draw, Wimbledon champion Linda Noskova fought through a dramatic three-set battle with 11th-seeded Ukrainian Marta Kostyuk to reach her first US Open quarterfinal.

The sixth-seeded Czech prevailed 7-5, 5-7, 6-4 after a gruelling contest in which neither player was willing to give ground.

Noskova appeared to be on course for a straight-sets win after taking the opening set. But Kostyuk fought back strongly in the second. When Noskova served for the match at 5-4, the Ukrainian saved two match points before breaking back to level the contest.

NOSKOVA TO FACE SABALENKA

Noskova responded impressively in the decider, keeping her composure during the crucial exchanges and eventually closing out the match 6-4.

The victory extended her Grand Slam winning streak to 11 matches and set up a blockbuster quarterfinal against world No. 1 and defending champion Aryna Sabalenka, who defeated Taylor Townsend 6-4, 6-3.

After capturing her maiden Grand Slam title at Wimbledon earlier this year, Noskova is continuing to make a strong statement on the sport’s biggest stages.

Kostyuk, meanwhile, will be left to rue the missed opportunity after pushing Noskova deep into the deciding set. But the Czech’s recovery after losing control in the second set highlighted her composure and growing stature among the tournament’s leading contenders.