He continued: “I just tried to start waking up. Starting at 11:30 is something I do not use, so my first goal was to start well, focused, energy and with a good rhythm.
“I started very well, pushed him to the limit and tried to play long rallies. I played a great tennis and I really hurt it.”
Alkaraj treated his right knee and quadrisp muscles with a 5–4 lead in the second set, but he later said that inconvenience soon disappeared and he was “not worried about it”.
He said: “I feel good. I asked for Physio because when he broke my service, at the last point I felt something that was not doing good work in the knee.
“After five or six digits, it was gone.”
After the medical time-out, Alkaraz broke the service in the next game to move two sets, quickly stunned through the third set to complete the victory.
Alkraj won his first Grand Slam title at the US Open as a teenager in 2022 and is aiming to win his second head after retaining his French Open Crown in June.
If he matches the performance of the Genic Sinner in New York or performs better, he will return to the top of the world rankings.
His fourth round rivals will be Arthur Rinderkenech, who is in the final 16 of a Grand Slam for the first time in his career.
World No. 82 lost the first set by defeating fellow French Benjamin Bonzi 4-6 6-3 6-3 6-2.
