Spanish player Carlos Alcaraz, seeded third, once again demonstrated his determination by effortlessly defeating Felix Auger-Aliassime to secure a spot in the quarter-finals of the French Open.
On a rare rain-free day in Paris, the 21-year-old Alcaraz won the match with a score of 6-3 6-3 6-1 against the Canadian player, who was seeded 21st.
In the next round, Alcaraz will face Stefanos Tsitsipas, the Greek player seeded ninth.
“I am extremely pleased with my performance today; I believe I played at an exceptionally high level,” Alcaraz expressed.
“I am satisfied with my serving, shots, and movement on the court.”
Tsitsipas, who is striving to win his first major title, made a remarkable comeback to defeat Matteo Arnaldi from Italy, ranked 35th in the world, with a score of 3-6 7-6 (7-4) 6-2 6-2.
Alcaraz is aiming to secure his inaugural French Open championship, having already triumphed at the US Open and Wimbledon.
However, his preparations were hindered by a forearm injury that he brought into the clay-court tournament.
Arriving in Paris with only a quarter-final run at the Madrid Open on clay, Alcaraz openly admitted to still experiencing pain earlier in the competition.
After convincingly defeating Sebastian Korda in the third round, he stated that he felt more like his usual self – a sentiment that was evident as he overcame 23-year-old Auger-Aliassime on Court Philippe Chatrier.
“I didn’t come here with much rhythm, but I have faith in myself. With each practice session and every match, I am improving,” added Alcaraz, who reached the semi-finals last year.
Auger-Aliassime required treatment for what seemed to be a muscular issue early in the second set and struggled with his serve for the rest of the match.
Taking advantage of Auger-Aliassime’s vulnerability, Alcaraz broke his opponent’s serve twice en route to a commanding 5-0 lead in the third set. He then sealed victory shortly after Tsitsipas accomplished the same feat on Court Suzanne Lenglen.
