A ‘dream come true’ as Alcaraz makes quarters

Carlos Alcaraz became the youngest man to reach the last eight of the US Open history since 1963 after beating German qualifier Peter Gojowczyk 5-7, 6-1, 5-7, 6-2, 6-0.

“I’m super excited to be in my first second week in the grand slam, so it’s amazing for me. It’s a dream come true,” Alcaraz said after the match.

“It’s really tough to play these kind of matches, to play fifth sets … I hope to play more second weeks, to play more quarter-finals of Grand Slams. I didn’t expect to play quarter-finals here. So I think it’s a really good performance from me in these matches.”

Alcaraz is eight days younger than Andre Agassi when the American reached the 1988 US Open quarter-finals and semi-finals.

But it wasn’t all plain sailing. Gojowczyk, 14 years older, made a good start to take out the first set, but in the fourth had to take a time out to deal with a thigh injury.

Alcaraz hit 35 winners and seven aces in the match, taking the second set with ease before the German battled back to win the third.

The injury saw Gojowczyk fade as Alcaraz took control in the fourth then rounding off the match with a bagel.

“In the first sets I thought that I reached my limit physically and mentally. I think the crowd was really, really important for me in this situation,” Alcaraz said.

“I felt the energy of the crowd pushing me up… without the crowd, it couldn’t be possible to be here.”

The Spaniard is also the youngest to reach this stage since Brazilian Thomaz Koch in 1963 and is the youngest men’s quarter-finalist at any slam since Michael Chang at the 1990 French Open.

Up next another massive challenge on the shape of in-form 12th-seeded Canadian Felix Auger-Aliassime, who beat American Frances Tiafoe 4-6 6-2 7-6(6) 6-4.