Carlos Alcaraz secured his spot in the last 16 of the French Open after a tough four-set match against unseeded Damir Dzumhur, winning 6-1, 6-3, 4-6, 6-4. He joins fellow prominent players Iga Swiatek and Aryna Sabalenka in the next round.
The defending men`s champion, Alcaraz, initially seemed in control, comfortably taking the first two sets. However, Dzumhur staged a spirited fightback, breaking Alcaraz at 3-3 in the third set to win it, and then securing an early break in the fourth, raising the prospect of a stunning upset.
Alcaraz managed to recover, leveling the fourth set at 3-3 and then breaking again to lead 5-3. Despite Dzumhur bravely breaking back in the ninth game to stay in the contest, the world No. 2 ultimately clinched the victory on his opponent`s serve just before midnight, converting his second match point. His next challenge will be against American 13th seed Ben Shelton in the fourth round.
Reflecting on the match, Alcaraz admitted it wasn`t easy. “I didn`t enjoy it too much. I suffered quite a lot,” he said in his post-match interview. He added that Grand Slams demand constant focus: “That`s why it`s difficult to win Grand Slams – because you have to maintain your focus over three or four hours.” He praised Dzumhur`s shift in strategy in the later sets and expressed pride in securing the win despite dipping energy levels.
Swiatek Continues Dominance in Paris Bid
Iga Swiatek, chasing her fourth consecutive women`s singles title at Roland-Garros and fifth overall, advanced by defeating Jaqueline Cristian of Romania 6-2, 7-5. While the score suggests straightforward sets, Cristian challenged the top seed in the second set, forcing Swiatek to save six break points before the Pole broke at 6-5 and served out the match.
Swiatek commented on adapting to the changing conditions: “It was 20 degrees when I played my first match but today it was 30 degrees. It is not easy to adjust but I have played in every condition.” She expressed satisfaction with her performance, particularly in closing out the match: “I`m just happy that I was super solid in the last game and didn`t give any free points… I`m happy I`m through and happy with the performance.” Swiatek`s next opponent will be 12th seed Elena Rybakina, who defeated Jelena Ostapenko 6-2, 6-2.
Sabalenka Advances Comfortably
World No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka also moved into the fourth round with ease, dominating Serbia`s Olga Danilovic 6-2, 6-3. Sabalenka won the first five games of the match and has conceded only 10 games across her first three matches in Paris, showcasing formidable form.
Despite her impressive start and status as world No. 1, Sabalenka deflected the `favourite` label, suggesting Swiatek holds that status due to her past success at the tournament. “It`s tough to predict in women`s tennis. Let`s just leave it [the favourite tag] on Iga since she won it three times in a row,” said Sabalenka, whose best French Open performance was reaching the semi-finals in 2023. She will face 16th seed Amanda Anisimova next.
Other Notable Results
Among other results, women`s eighth seed Qinwen Zheng and fourth seed Jasmine Paolini (2024 runner-up) also progressed. In the men`s draw, 10th seed Holger Rune and 12th seed Tommy Paul battled through five-set matches against Quentin Halys and Karen Khachanov respectively. Arthur Fils withdrew due to injury, giving Andrey Rublev a walkover into the fourth round.
Upcoming third-round matches include a British clash between Cameron Norrie and Jacob Fearnley, as well as British men`s No. 1 Jack Draper facing Brazilian teenager Joao Fonseca.
