He has dazzled the world with his tennis and his personality, a phenomenon that threatens to dominate the racket sport, but this year, the year of his explosion on the circuit, Carlos Alcaraz had a mole in his excellent career: the defeat against Sebastian Korda in Monte Carlo in his first match this season on clay. At Roland Garros and Philippe Chatrier, the temple of clay, the Murcian took revenge against the American, whom he defeated in three very intense sets (6-4, 6-4 and 6-2) with an exhibition, once again, from his great repertoire of blows. His next rival, in the round of 16, will be the Russian Karen Khachanov, who beat Cameron Norrie in the third round.
In the first confrontation between the two, in the final of the Next Gen last year, the young Spanish tennis player was crowned the king of his generation. After him came his introduction to the world on the US tour, where he won his first Masters 1,000 in Miami. The euphoria stopped when he had to change the fast track for dirt in the Principality. Erratic and out of place, Alcaraz fell against the odds against Korda on the Rainier III track.
Warned by the last meeting in Monegasque lands, the one from El Palmar came out concentrated, without speculating and very aggressive in the center of the French Grand Slam. The American, son of former tennis player Petr Korda, accepted the challenge, but was inaccurate at the start with his flat forehand shot. Alcaraz took advantage of the irregularity of his rival to achieve the first and only break of the opening set in the third game, in the first opportunity he had.
Korda was required with his serve throughout the first set and, on the other hand, the Spaniard solved his service with relative ease, without a single opportunity to break. Alcaraz came out on the court electric and energetic, perhaps buoyed by his epic victory in the previous round against Albert Ramos. He floated the Murcian, very fast on his legs, although in the second round he ran into the resistance of the American, a talent with many resources on the track and a very promising future.
After a lot of rowing, the one from Florida enjoyed the first two break balls in the fourth game, both wasted. He forgave it and Korda paid, who immediately forfeited the snap of him. It was not because of his mistakes, but because of the successes of an Alcaraz that increased, even more if possible, his pace. A perfect counterflip and a great forehand allowed him to take an advantage in the set that he did not let slip. He had five set points left in the ninth game, but it was in the tenth, on his serve, that he closed out the set.
Despite losing the second set, Korda never broke down, always on the lookout for his powerful forehand or precise backhand. At this point in the game, the public had already enjoyed several carat exchanges, from you to you, from power to power, where Alcaraz prevailed by details, more effective in key moments, especially with his drive, his solvent serve and your network security.
Down two sets and against a flawless Alcaraz, the easiest thing was to fall apart, but Korda kept his composure at the start of the third set. He first saved a break ball and then had three break chances, all wasted on balls far off the sidelines or stamped into the net. The American embroidered tennis except when he had the opportunity to break the serve, the only moment where his gesture twisted and cried out to heaven.
On the other side of the net, Alcaraz followed his own, impeccable in all sections. Even, he knew how to tame the impatience that he had exhibited at some points in other matches. The strength of the Spaniard ended up making a dent in the American, who lowered his level in the fifth game, where he accumulated improper errors in his tennis, including two easy volleys that made him lose his serve. That blow, especially mental, was too much for a Korda who gave up the serve again, while Alcaraz, totally unleashed, slid unopposed to victory.
