Paris, May 31
Carlos Alcaraz survived a late challenge on Friday at Roland Garros to keep his title defense alive. After a commanding start, the Spaniard had to reset his game to overcome Damir Dzumhur 6-1, 6-3, 4-6, 6-4.
The 22-year-old found himself down a break early in the fourth set but regrouped to finish the match after a rollercoaster three hours and 14 minutes. Although Alcaraz was broken while serving for the match at 5-4, he immediately responded with a break of his own to seal the win and move into the fourth round.
Alcaraz opened strong, taking control with aggressive forehands, some clocking over 100 miles per hour (160 km/h). Dzumhur had break points in every set and finally converted his first after seven misses, sparking late drama on Court Philippe-Chatrier.
The Bosnian, who has a diverse game, adopted a more attacking position on the baseline and produced impressive backhand winners down the line while also moving forward to apply pressure. Alcaraz appeared frustrated at times, committing uncharacteristic errors as he struggled to respond.
After failing to convert his first nine break chances across the third and fourth sets, Alcaraz finally capitalised to level the fourth set and stop Dzumhur’s momentum. The 19-time tour-level titlist created 21 break opportunities in the match, converting seven — including one to close the match at 5-4 in the fourth. He totaled 52 winners, 38 from his forehand.