On Court Philippe Chatrier, in a clash filled with powerful shots, world-class net play and commendable sportsmanship , Alcaraz defeated Shelton 7-6(8), 6-3, 4-6, 6-4 after 3 hours and 19 minutes.
Under the bright Parisian sun, both players started the match in blistering form. Alcaraz saved three set points in the first set to take the lead, then continued to neutralize Shelton's heavy power with quick hands in the second and maintained control. The American briefly regained the lead by winning the third set, but Alcaraz responded strongly in the fourth, advancing to the quarterfinals of the clay-court Grand Slam for the fourth year in a row.
Alcaraz had a tough match against Shelton (Photo: Getty).
"Today I was struggling with my own mind. I tried to calm down. There were times when I was crazy, I was angry with myself. I said things that weren't really good but I'm really happy that I didn't let those thoughts work against me. I tried to calm down and tried to continue playing. That's what I tried," Alcaraz shared after the match.
As the defending champion in Paris, Alcaraz is chasing a fifth Grand Slam title and third clay-court title of the season, having already claimed ATP Masters 1000 events in Monte Carlo and Rome.
The Spaniard, who missed Madrid through injury, will face Shelton's compatriot Tommy Paul in the next round. Alcaraz currently leads Paul 4-2 in the head-to-head series.
Alcaraz faced much stiffer resistance from world number 13 Shelton, who hit powerful shots in the sweltering conditions in Paris.
"We respect each other. Every time we play each other, we try to show our best. We played really well and entertained the fans. He's a very strong player, he can hit shots from any position. I think we played a really great match. Going to the net, dropping, forehands. For me, it's great to have Ben as an opponent. I think it's great energy for everyone and I love watching Ben play," Alcaraz said when asked about Shelton.
Shelton gave Alcaraz a hard time (Photo: Getty).
The American had three chances to win the first set but made a costly error of serve at 8-8 in the tie-break, before Alcaraz sealed the opening victory with a powerful forehand down the line.
Early in the second set, the Spaniard showed a moment of outstanding sportsmanship when he called a fault at 30-30 in the first game. After approaching the net with a forehand and volleying into the open court, Shelton rallied and hit a powerful cross-court forehand, forcing Alcaraz to stretch to answer. The 22-year-old appeared to volley home a clean winner. The point was initially awarded to Alcaraz, but the world No. 2 immediately told the umpire that he had lost control of his racket halfway down the line and had made a fault on contact.
Alcaraz continued to hold his ground and then won the set. At 4-4 in the third set, Alcaraz missed a break point at 30-40 and Shelton held his serve, then broke Alcaraz, taking the match. However, Alcaraz responded with consistent hunger in the fourth set to take a 3-0 series lead over Shelton.
Alcaraz is aiming to become only the third male player in the 21st century to successfully defend the Roland Garros title, joining Rafael Nadal (10 times) and Gustavo Kuerten (in 2001).
For Shelton, this is his first time reaching the fourth round in Paris. The 22-year-old, who defeated Lorenzo Sonego in five sets in the first round, has risen to No. 12 in the ATP live rankings.
Source: https://dantri.com.vn/the-thao/alcaraz-nhoc-nhan-tien-vao-tu-ket-roland-garros-20250602083020450.htm
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