Carlos Alcaraz Advances to 4th Round at Roland Garros with Victory over Sebastian Korda

Alcaraz, seeded No. 3, secured a straight-sets win over the No. 27 seed Korda, with a scoreline of 6-4, 7-6(5), 6-3. This match, lasting two hours and 39 minutes, showcased Alcaraz’s resilience and skill, especially given his recent struggles with a right forearm injury that sidelined him for a significant portion of the clay-court season.

Season Comeback

After a challenging start to his season, Alcaraz made a remarkable comeback by winning the BNP Paribas Open. Despite missing two out of three clay-court Masters 1000 tournaments, Alcaraz proved his mettle on the Parisian clay, demonstrating his readiness for the Roland Garros challenge.

Weather Challenges and Rivals

The tournament’s first week saw persistent rain, leading to multiple interruptions. Alcaraz, however, remained unfazed, having played most of his matches under the Court Philippe-Chatrier roof. His journey included victories over American J.J. Wolf and Dutch qualifier Jesper de Jong, setting the stage for a thrilling encounter with Korda.

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Historical Context

Korda, the son of 1998 Australian Open champion Petr Korda, is known for his prowess on clay courts. Despite favoring faster surfaces, he reached the fourth round at Roland Garros in 2020 and claimed his first ATP title on clay in Parma. In their previous encounters, Korda managed one victory over Alcaraz at the Rolex Monte-Carlo Masters in 2022, but Alcaraz avenged this loss at Roland Garros later that year and triumphed again at Queen’s Club on grass.

Match Highlights

During their Friday evening session, Korda put up a strong fight, especially in the second set where he leveled the score at three games each and forced a tiebreaker. Alcaraz, however, demonstrated his exceptional talent, rallying from an early mini-break deficit to secure the second set with a powerful forehand.

In the third set, Alcaraz’s momentum continued. He broke Korda’s serve with a delicate drop shot and a decisive overhead, ultimately serving for the match. Alcaraz clinched victory with a final volley into the open court, securing his place in the fourth round.

Looking Ahead

In the next round, Alcaraz will face the winner of the rain-delayed match between American Ben Shelton and Canada’s Félix Auger-Aliassime. Alcaraz has a favorable record against Shelton, having defeated him on a hard court in Canada last summer. However, he trails Auger-Aliassime 3-2 in their head-to-head encounters, although he has won their last two matches.