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Carlos Alcaraz showed his respect for Dan Evans\u00a0after defeating the Brit 6-2 6-3 4-6 6-3 in a thrilling three-hour match.\u00a0Both men were seen laughing and smiling in disbelief at some of the points they played, and afterwards the world No 1 described the contest as a “show”. It means Alcaraz keeps his US Open title defence alive, and the Spaniard is hoping to become the first man since Roger Federer to retain the crown in New York.<\/p>\n
Alcaraz survived a test from Evans on Saturday as he booked his spot in the second week of the US Open. It marked the first time this tournament that the world No 1 dropped a set as the 33-year-old made things tricky for him. And Alcaraz later said that Evans’ game reminded him of his own.<\/p>\n
“He\u2019s a tricky opponent, as you said. He always wants to go to the net, great slices, good touch. I think this is my game as well so it\u2019s a pretty good match,” the two-time Major winner said in his on-court interview. “I think when we play each other it\u2019s a show on the court, I think people love that as well.<\/p>\n
“We made great points, great shots, a lot of different kind of situations probably than the other matches. But really, really happy to get through and be able to play a fourth round in the US Open.”<\/p>\n
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Just in <\/strong> Emotional Jack Draper reacts to Grand Slam milestone after US Open win[LATEST] <\/strong><\/p>\n Alcaraz has a reputation for always smiling on the tennis court – something Coco Gauff praised earlier in this week – and it proved infectious as Evans was also enjoying himself in the heat of battle on Saturday. “As I said, we played great points that made us smile,” the reigning champion explained.<\/p>\n “Dan as well, so it\u2019s great to see that on a tennis court. Obviously we play to make the people happy as well, to entertain them and try to make the match fun let\u2019s say. But it\u2019s great to have that kind of points as well and feel the energy that they [the crowd] enjoyed that kind of match as well.”<\/p>\n Alcaraz is defending a Grand Slam title for the first time in his young career and has so far taken the pressure of being last year’s winner in his stride. No man has defended the US Open title since Federer in 2008 – when he won the tournament five years in a row. And the 20-year-old is hoping to emulate the Swiss star’s achievement.<\/p>\n We use your sign-up to provide content in ways you’ve consented to and to improve our understanding of you. This may include adverts from us and 3rd parties based on our understanding. You can unsubscribe at any time. More info<\/p>\n![](\"https:\/\/cdn.images.express.co.uk\/img\/dynamic\/72\/590x\/secondary\/4940397.jpg?r=1693685570227\")
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