A Roland-Garros,
Back from hell. Crisp for much of the match, Carlos Alcaraz came very close to elimination in the second round against veteran Albert Ramos Vinolas. He even saved a match point in the fourth set at 5-4 on his compatriot’s serve. Led 3-0 in the final set, he overthrew his opponent 6-1, 6-7 [7], 5-7, 7-6 [2], 6-4). In pain after a furious fight of 4h 34. “It was a difficult round, he blew in front of the press. I was leading by a break at the start of the fourth set. He made his winning return the next game. But I knew I would have chances until the end of the fourth set. I believed in myself, all the time. And then, it was difficult, it’s true. Saving a match point is always difficult. But I believed in myself.”
Titled in Rio, Miami, Barcelona and Madrid, the 19-year-old prodigy was often unrecognizable this Wednesday on the Simonne Mathieu. He assures it. He was not overtaken by the famous pressure: “No, I didn’t feel nervous, at least during the match. Maybe at the end of the fourth inning, when there was that match point, maybe there, I was like, ‘Ah, I’m about to lose’. But I try not to think about it, I try not to think either that it’s Roland-Garros. What matters is enjoying the moment. During the fourth and fifth set, I even smiled with my team. I like these fights, these battles. That’s what I want.”
Author of 74 unforced errors (for as many winning points) and unrealistic about his chances (8-31 on his break points), Alcaraz had the merit of never giving up and relaunched in the fifth set, thanks to ) a sublime backhand passing at the end of the race. The Spaniard surprised himself: “What mattered was winning that point. It is true that he was handsome. End of the fifth set, after a long match, to be able to run like that again, and win that point, like I did, yes, it’s true, it’s quite breathtaking. In the third round, the young prodigy will face the American Sebastian Korda, who beat Richard Gasquet.
