New York, August 26(HS): Spanish star Carlos Alcaraz made a confident start to his US Open 2025 campaign on Monday, cruising past American big-server Reilly Opelka in straight sets 6-4, 7-5, 6-4 to book his place in the second round.

The 22-year-old world No. 2, sporting a new buzz-cut look, was in playful mood after the match, joking, “I’ll have to ask people if they like my haircut or not.” Opelka’s booming serves initially troubled the Spaniard, but Alcaraz’s sharp returns and consistent serving allowed him to seize control. He grabbed an early break to win the opening set, overcame a double fault setback in the second, and sealed victory by breaking Opelka’s serve in the third.

“Facing Opelka is never easy. His serve and playing style make things really tricky,” Alcaraz admitted. “Against someone like him, patience and focus are the biggest keys.”

In the next round, Alcaraz will meet Italy’s Mattia Bellucci, who advanced after China’s Shang Juncheng was forced to retire in their first-round clash, handing the Italian a walkover.

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Hindusthan Samachar / Jun Sarkar