Carlos Alcaraz will compete in the second week at Roland Garros
World no. 3 Carlos Alcaraz will compete in the fourth round of the Roland Garros for the third straight year. Carlos met Sebastian Korda in the third round on Court Philippe-Chatrier and notched a 6-4, 7-6, 6-3 win in two hours and 39 minutes, entering the second week and remaining on the title course.
Alcaraz played better than in the previous match. His forehand worked well while overpowering his rival in the pivotal moments, sealing the deal in straight sets and preserving energy. The Spaniard served at 78% and dropped 26 points in his games.
The American secured two breaks from three opportunities, but it was insufficient to keep him in contention. Korda served below 60% and gave away 44% of the points in his games. He offered Alcaraz 12 break points and lost serve four times, ending his campaign in the third round.
Carlos tamed his strokes nicely and produced 38 winners and 27 unforced errors.
Sebastian added 20 winners and 40 unforced mistakes, struggling to match the rival’s numbers.
The Spaniard forged a massive advantage in the shortest and mid-range rallies. The American followed the opponent’s pace in the most extended ones, although it was not enough to keep him competitive. They traded early breaks in the opening set before world no.
3 clinched it with a late return game on his tally. Korda netted a forehand in the first game of the encounter, offering Alcaraz a break chance. Sebastian saved it with a service winner before Carlos converted the second after the rival’s volley error, generating an early advantage.
Alcaraz wasted a game point in game two with a careless forehand and faced a break point after a backhand mistake. The younger player sprayed a forehand error, losing serve and bringing his rival back to the positive side. Sebastian held at 15 in the third game, and Carlos landed a service winner in the next one for 2-2.
Carlos Alcaraz defeated Sebastin Korda on Court Philippe-Chatrier.
The Spaniard placed a volley winner at the net in the fifth game for a deuce before the American closed it with a backhand drive-volley winner.
Alcaraz missed a forehand in the seventh game and responded in the next one with a volley winner at the net following an extended exchange. Carlos gained a boost and created a break point in the next one after Sebastian’s volley mistake.
The American netted a routine forehand drive-volley, sending his rival 5-4 in front. Alcaraz served for the set in game ten and created three set points with a forehand winner. He forced Korda’s error on the first, wrapping up the opener in style after 44 minutes.
Sebastian erased a break deficit in the second set and reached a tie break, only to drop it in the pivotal moments and find himself miles behind. Korda clinched the first game with a volley winner at the net following one of the most entertaining points of the duel.
Alcaraz responded with a forehand winner in game two and made a push on the return in the next one. Sebastian sprayed a forehand error to experience a break point and got broken after another, falling a set and a break behind after an hour.
Last year’s semi-finalist held at love with a crafty drop shot in the fourth game and reached a couple of deuces on the return in the next one. Korda survived and made a push on the return in the next one. The American caused the Spaniard’s mistake on the second break point, erasing the deficit and improving his position.
Sebastian faced a stern test in the seventh game, playing against three break points and saving them to remain on the positive side. The lower-ranked player clinched the ninth game after a deuce, and world no. 3 responded with a crafty drop shot winner in the next one, locking the result at 5-5.
Sebastian grabbed the 11th game with an unreturned serve, and Carlos mirrored that a few minutes later, introducing a tie break.
They scored four mini-breaks in the opening four points before Korda netted a routine forehand at 3-3. The American played a similar shot at 4-4 and placed another forehand long to experience two set points. Carlos missed the first but cracked a forehand winner on the second, moving two sets two love in front after an hour and 56 minutes.
Alcaraz produced a marvelous serving in the third set, and Korda could not follow that pace after facing issues in three straight service games. Carlos held at love in the first game with a forehand winner and earned two break points in the next one.
Sebastian saved them with service winners and held, locking the result at 1-1. The Spaniard clinched the third game at love with a forehand crosscourt winner and stepped in on the return in the next one. World no. 3 delivered another hold at love a few minutes later, dropping three points in the previous six service games and marching toward the finish line.
With nothing working his way, Korda played another challenging service game at 1-4. The American saved two break points, holding and remaining within one break deficit. The Spaniard remained in front with a service winner in game seven, opening a 5-2 gap and forcing his rival to serve to stay in the match.
Korda landed a service winner, prolonging the action and hoping for one last chance on the return. Instead, Alcaraz created two match points with a service winner and placed a winner at the net for a place in the last 16.