Carlos Alcaraz scripted a great escape at the French Open on Wednesday, bouncing back from a match point down to win the second round.
The sixth seed saved match point in the fourth set and rallied from 0-3 in the fifth set to defeat countryman Albert Ramos-Vinolas 6-1, 6-7(7), 5-7, 7-6(2), 6-4.
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“I feel tired,” Alcaraz said in his on-court interview, cracking a laugh.
“It has been a great battle against Albert. I knew that it was going to be a great match, tough match. We fought until the last point. I’m so happy with the performance today.”
Welcome to the @alcarazcarlos03 show 🤯#RolandGarros pic.twitter.com/fVbODNenSl
— Roland-Garros (@rolandgarros) May 25, 2022
For much of the match, Alcaraz was frustrated by his 34-year-old left-handed opponent and struggled to find solutions, which has been a rarity this season.
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The 19-year-old converted just seven of his 31 break points, putting him in a deep hole.
But while Alcaraz earned his first 29 wins of the year through astonishing skill, he claimed his 30th through sheer will.
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The teen triumphed after four hours and 34 minutes to earn a clash against American Sebastian Korda.
Alexander Zverev back from the brink
Fired up 🔥🦁 @AlexZverev comes back from two sets down and saves a match point to claim his spot in the third round.
He overcomes Sebastian Baez in 5️⃣ 2-6 4-6, 6-1, 6-2, 7-5.@rolandgarros | #RolandGarros pic.twitter.com/IuiJMWNJ8g
— ATP Tour (@atptour) May 25, 2022
Alexander Zverev’s Roland Garros hopes hung by a thread on Wednesday afternoon, but the third seed dug deep to prevail in an absorbing second-round battle against Sebastian Baez.
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The third seed saved a match point when trailing 4-5, 30/40 in the fifth set against the 21-year-old Argentine Baez, but he held firm to complete a dramatic 2-6, 4-6, 6-1, 6-2, 7-5 victory in Paris.
