Carlos Alcaraz advanced to the third round of the US Open with a convincing 6-1, 6-0, 6-3 victory over Italy's Mattia Bellucci.

The five-time Grand Slam champion proved too much for the world number 65 Bellucci and advanced to the round of 16, where he will face fellow Italian Luciano Darderi.

"Honestly, I played great from the start to the last ball. I know his level (of play). Today was not his day and I tried to make the most of his mistakes. Overall, I'm very happy with my performance. The less time I spend on court, the better for me," said Alcaraz.

Alcaraz, the 2022 US Open champion, suffered a shock second-round loss at last year's tournament, but any chance of a repeat of that failure was quickly dismissed by the second-seeded Spaniard.

He won the first five games against Bellucci, and the Italian left-hander offered little resistance in the first two sets against a player who currently leads the ATP with 56 wins and six titles this season.

Alcaraz closed out his latest victory in an hour and 36 minutes and continues on the path to a potential clash with reigning champion and world number one Yannick Sinner.

The pair have won the last seven Grand Slams and met in the finals of Roland Garros and Wimbledon this year. | BGNES