Alcaraz last man standing after record-setting classic

NEW YORK－This was a match that would not end. Should not end, one might say. Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner, two of the brightest young stars of men's tennis, traded shots of the highest quality and countless momentum swings across five engrossing sets for five hours and 15 minutes until Alcaraz finally won the last point at 2:50 am local time on Thursday, the latest finish in US Open history.

It was "only" a quarterfinal, no trophy at stake, yet was as taut a thriller as this year's tournament has produced or likely will; a tour de force of big cuts on the full sprint and plenty of guts, concluding as a 6-3, 6-7 (7), 6-7 (0), 7-5, 6-3 victory for the No 3-seeded Alcaraz, a 19-yearold from Spain.

"Honestly," said Alcaraz, who saved a match point in the fourth set, "I still don't know how I did it."