Carlos Alcaraz rallies past Jaime Faria into US Open third round

Carlos Alcaraz recovered from a slow start to defeat Portugal's Jaime Faria 4-6, 6-0, 6-3, 6-2 and reach the third round of the US Open. BBC Sport reported that the defending champion steadied himself after losing the opening set, completing the comeback in the night session at Arthur Ashe Stadium.

Watch the highlights: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hz6jq9Ebvuc

What happened: Faria took the first set and then earned two break points at 15-40 early in the second, putting Alcaraz under immediate pressure. The Spaniard saved both chances and took control from there, winning the second set without dropping a game before carrying his momentum through the next two sets. Spanish newspaper AS reported a match time of two hours and 40 minutes.

The result gave Alcaraz his second victory since returning to singles competition after four months out with a right wrist injury. The official US Open website said the 23-year-old began his campaign with a 6-4, 6-4, 6-4 first-round win over Roman Safiullin, and that his body felt good after that match. This tournament is his first since April.

Why it matters: Alcaraz is attempting to defend the US Open men's singles title and extend a winning run at major tournaments. AS reported that the victory over Faria was his 16th consecutive Grand Slam match win. The second seed has now reached the third round in five of his six appearances at the New York major.

The comeback also provided a more demanding test than his straight-sets opener. Faria's first-set success forced Alcaraz to respond after a lengthy absence from regular competition, while the missed break opportunities at the beginning of the second set proved to be the match's turning point. Alcaraz then conceded only five games across the final three sets.

What comes next: Alcaraz will face China's Wu Yibing in the third round. AS reported that Wu advanced by beating Australia's James Duckworth 7-5, 6-3, 6-1 in one hour and 57 minutes. The match gives Alcaraz another step in his title defence after he navigated the first significant setback of his comeback tournament.