The 2-12-minute victory took the Spaniard to the quarter-finals of the final Grand Slam of the year.
The highlight of the match came right at the beginning of the first set, when Alcaraz unexpectedly made a successful back shot in defense. The improvised and precise handling left opponents unable to react and became one of the most impressive moments of the tournament.
The world No. 2 later shared that it was just a natural reflex, while Rinderknech admitted that he was surprised and could not hide his admiration.
Rinderknech is currently ranked 82 ATP, entering the match with a strong style of play and giving his opponent no chance to break in the first set. However, the double-ted mistake in the tie-break caused him to lose the advantage, allowing Alcaraz to close the set 7-6. In set 2, the difference in class gradually became clear. Alcaraz successfully took advantage of the important points, won the break at the decisive moment and won 6-3.
Set 3 continued to witness the French tennis player's arrival as he maintained his balance until the ninth game. However, Alcaraz once again showed his mettle at the decisive moment with accurate runs along the rope, thereby winning a break and winning 6-4 to close the match.
With this victory, Alcaraz continued to maintain the record of reaching at least the quarter-finals in all 4 Grand Slams. In the next round, he will face Jiri Lehecka, ranked 21st in the world, who just defeated Adrian Mannarino. This promises to be a significant challenge for the 22-year-old tennis player on his journey to conquer the title in New York.
