World No. 2 Carlos Alcaraz cruised through to the fourth round of the U.S. Open with a straight-sets victory over Italian Luciano Darderi on Friday at Arthur Ashe Stadium. But Alcaraz had a bit of a scare during the second set. While leading Darderi 5-4, the Spaniard approached the chair umpire and asked for the physiotherapist. Apparently, Alcaraz was feeling some discomfort in his leg, as the physio was treating his right knee area.
Alcaraz then was able to win the second set and ultimately, the match.
During a post-match interview, ESPN's Mary Joe Fernandez asked about the injury scare—and Alcaraz eased any concerns that it was a serious issue.
"I’m feeling good," Alcaraz said. "Just a precaution that I asked for the physio when he broke my serve in the last point. I felt something that wasn’t working good in the knee.
"After 5, 6 points it was gone. I asked for the physio just to take care about the knee because it was one set left, I had to be ready and feeling good physically. Precaution. I’m gonna talk with my team but I’m not worried about it."
Alcaraz, fresh off of winning the Cincinnati Masters prior to arriving in New York, appears to be in top form , as he has yet to drop a set through three rounds of the U.S. Open.
The five-time major winner will next take on Frenchman Arthur Rinderknech in the fourth round on Sunday.
More on Sports Illustrated
This article was originally published on www.si.com as Carlos Alcaraz Eases Concerns After Injury Scare During Third Round U.S. Open Win.