The Spanish Carlos Alcaraz qualified this Sunday for the first time for the quarterfinals of Roland Garros after decisively defeating the Russian Karen Khachanov, 6-1, 6-4 and 6-4 in two hours and 15 minutes and will be measured for a place in the semifinals against German Alexander Zverev.
They will be the second quarters of a Grand Slam played by Juan Carlos Ferrero’s pupil, after last year’s US Open. At 19 years old, he becomes the youngest tennis player to reach that phase of two majors since the Russian did it in 1993 Andrew Medvedev.
alcaraz He is also achieving a fusion with the public, who acclaim him in each duel, for the plasticity of his game and because they consider him fresh air in a circuit that has been under the same names for years.
After raising a match point in the second round against his compatriot Albert Ramosversus Khachanov signed the second consecutive victory on the fast track, demonstrating an offensive, varied and powerful tennis, similar to the one that dismantled the American sebastian korda.
The schedule also coincided, the night on the central track in Paris, another example of the bet faith that exists in the charismatic Spaniard to attract spectators.
alcaraz jumped onto the court a few minutes after his compatriot Rafael Nadal celebrated his victory in the center, forced to battle five sets against the Canadian Felix Auger-Aliassime.
The night was cold, the breeze cut the atmosphere, but alcaraz He warmed up the public with masterful blows, some spectacular like the balloon that he took out, in a defensive blow between the legs, to disarm the Russian giant.
The resistance of Khachanovwho was looking for his second quarter-final, after having played five times in the round of 16, increased as the match progressed and the third set was a tough battle, but always with the advantage of the Spaniard.
Alcaraz will look for his first semifinals of a big one against one of the semifinalists of the last edition, Zverevin which it will be a reissue of the final of the last tournament in Madrid, the second Masters 1,000 that the Spaniard won after the one in Miami.
It is the only precedent between the two on clay, after the two that played on hard court in 2021, with the German triumphing.
The German, four years older than Alcaraz and third in the ranking, defeated the Spaniard Barnabas Zapatathe last survivor of the previous phase, 7-6(11), 7-5 and 6-3.