Alcaraz cruises past Lehecka to reach US Open semifinal

NEW YORK: Second seed Carlos Alcaraz powered into the US Open semifinals with a dominant 6-4, 6-2, 6-4 victory over Czech Jiri Lehecka at Arthur Ashe Stadium in New York on Tuesday.

Alcaraz got off to a flying start, breaking Lehecka in the very first game by capitalizing on early double faults and sealing the opening set with a stunning backhand winner.

The Spaniard turned up the pressure in the second set, breaking twice as Lehecka struggled to find answers. Alcaraz thrilled the crowd with a sensational 12-shot rally, celebrating with his signature golf swing gesture.

Watching from the stands was Sergio Garcia, the 2017 Masters champion and fellow Spaniard, who praised Alcaraz's all-around improvement in recent years.

Reflecting on his performance, Alcaraz highlighted the psychological edge of showing his opponents that he has the stamina to go the distance.

"If you show the opponent you're fresh and able to play two, three more hours, to play long rallies, it gives him the mindset that this is going to be really tough," Alcaraz said.

"The way I walk between points, with attitude, showing that I'm fresh and feeling really good physically, is important. It makes the opponent realise they’ll have to sweat and run a lot if they want to beat me."

With the victory, Alcaraz set up a highly anticipated semifinal clash against 24-time Grand Slam champion Novak Djokovic. A win would also bring the Spaniard closer to reclaiming the world number one ranking, adding extra stakes to their blockbuster showdown.