Blockx dispatches Barrios Vera 6-3, 6-4, 6-2 to reach US Open second round

Alexander Blocx from Belgium continues to impress. The twenty-one- year-old was a finalist at the 2025 NextGen ATP Finals and is seeded 28th at the season’s final grand slam. The Antwerp native possesses a formidable serve that utilizes his 6’4 frame to great effect.

Winner of the 2023 Australian Open boys’ singles title, he is still seeking his first ATP Tour title. He achieved a career-high rank of 32 at the end of July and is currently ranked 34 and seeded 28th on tournament debut.

Tomas Barrios Vera from Chillan, Chile is currently ranked #144 but achieved a career-high rank of 93 in January of 2024. The twenty-eight-year-old, still in search of his first career title, won three qualifying matches to make his maiden main draw debut at the US Open.

©Belgaimage

This was their first tour-level meeting. Barrios won the toss and elected to receive. Blockx opened with a crosscourt forehand volley winner and, with his first ace at 137mph, held easily to 15 while Barrios struck a 120 mph ace up the tee to level.

Blockx opened with an ace out wide and held to 30 while Barrios gifted four unforced errors and dumped his serve. The Belgian hit two additional aces and held at love to consolidate the break for 4-1. Barrios made 4/5 first serves and held easily to 15 while Blockx faced two break points with a double fault yet held for 5-2.

The Chilean, serving to stay in the set with new balls, hit a stunning crosscourt backhand dropshot winner and held at love while Blockx sealed the set 6-3 despite donating his second double fault.
Barrios served first in the second and with an ace up the tee, held at love while Blockx opened with an ace and held to level with a winning serve-and-volley combination. Barrios made 3/5 first serves and held easily to 15 while Blockx struck two winners, including an ace down the middle, to level at two.

Barrios struggled as the unforced errors continued to mount. He faced four deuce and two break points and dropped serve following two consecutive mishit groundstrokes. Blockx donated three unforced errors, faced two deuce and three break points, yet held to consolidate the break for 4-2 with a colossal forehand down the line.

Barrios made 3/5 first serves and held to 15 for 3-4 while Blockx struck two forehand winners and held at love for 5-3. Barrios, serving to stay in the set, opened the ninth with an ace out wide, and with an incredible inside-in forehand, held at love for 4-5. The Belgian served for the set and hit three additional winners, the last an ace up the tee to secure the set.

The Chilean served first in the third, and while he opened with a brilliant backhand down the line, he gifted seven unforced errors, including a double fault, to drop serve. Blockx made 3/5 first serves and, with his eighth ace, held to 15 to consolidate the break for 2-0.

Barrios gifted two additional double faults, faced double break point, and dropped serve when he butchered a forehand down the middle. Blockx opened the fourth with a winning forehand volley and, with two additional aces, held to 15 to consolidate the break for 4-0.

Barrios, like his opponent, possesses power and variety. The Chilean opened the fifth with an incredible inside-out backhand volley winner and, with two additional forehand winners, got on the board.

Blockx held easily to 15 for 5-1 with two consecutive inside-out forehand winners. Barrios serving to stay in the match with new balls, made 3/5 first serves and held to 15 while Blockx secured victory and a spot in the second round with a monster forehand down the middle.

The Belgian phenom finished with 10 aces, 3 double faults, and won a staggering 83% of first and 63% of second serve points. Despite his opponent’s powerful delivery, he won 35% of first and 44% of second serve return points. He saved 5/5 break points while converting 4/8 and was highly effective at net, winning 19/26 points.

While the match was played at an exceedingly fast pace, it incorporated an entertaining mix of serve plus one and lengthy, hard-hitting rallies imbued with versatility and controlled aggression.
It was a poised, and measured performance from the 28th seed who will play the tour veteran Marco Trungelliti from Argentina for the first time. The thirty-six-year-old is having a stellar season, having cracked the top 100 for the first time in his career. In his opening match in Flushing Meadows, he dispatched the talented young Chinese southpaw Juncheng Shang in five sets.