Carlos Alcaraz took another confident step in his return from injury Wednesday, while defending champion Aryna Sabalenka also advanced at the U.S. Open as organizers finally cleared a backlog of rain-delayed matches.
Former champion Daniil Medvedev overcame an unusual interruption from a bird to reach the next round, while Americans Ben Shelton, Jessica Pegula, Emma Navarro and Frances Tiafoe also advanced.
Alcaraz was the headline act in the evening session at Arthur Ashe Stadium, where the No. 2 seed recovered from a slow start to defeat Jaime Faria 4-6, 6-0, 6-3, 6-2.
The Spaniard responded to dropping the opening set with a dominant display of shot-making, easing concerns over the wrist injury that had threatened to disrupt his title bid in New York.
"I wanted to be quick ... I'm not going to lie," Alcaraz said after spending two hours, 40 minutes on court.
