It only took three short sets (6-3, 6-3, 6-1) and 2h19 of walking, in All Saints’ weekend weather, for Carlos Alcaraz to push Félix Auger-Aliassime out of his way. towards the quarter-finals of Roland-Garros. The Spaniard will face Stefanos Tsitsipas on Tuesday, who defeated Matteo Arnaldi a little earlier. This is the third year in a row that Juan Carlos Ferrero’s protégé has taken part in the roller coaster, the eighth time in the Grand Slam. He thus allows his country to be represented at this stage of the competition in Paris for the 28th consecutive year.
Even if he remained on two victories in two sets against the Canadian, during the last two editions of the Indian Wells tournament, we expected the meeting to be more balanced. Because Auger-Aliassime had won their first three duels but also because the latter had reached the final in Madrid at the beginning of May.
But the rise of “Carlito” is evident. After a formality against JJ Wolf in the first round (four games lost), a set dropped en route against Jesper De Jong and a solid demonstration in the previous round against Sebastian Korda, the world No. 3 has clearly raised his level of play to the attack of the second week.
Auger-Aliassime diminished by pain in the left adductor
All without any real demonstration of power or disproportionate effort. Very relaxed, with a margin that seems gigantic, the 21-year-old Murcian waited until the eighth game to place a few accelerations and make Auger-Aliassime bend on the backhand side, for a break that we felt was coming. Alcaraz’s technical palette was then displayed in front of transfixed but enthusiastic spectators, with each delicately placed drop shot or violently struck forehand without warning.
After winning the first set, the Spaniard saved a break point at 2-1 with a serve-volley sequence. In the following game, it was he who took over the opponent’s serve by putting a little more intensity in his shots like the long-line backhand passing which allowed him to lead 3-2. Reduced by pain in his left adductor, the Canadian took advantage of the break to go and be handled in the locker room while Alcaraz, to avoid getting cold, repeated his blows in shadow tennis under the “olés!” ” a crowd. He responded with a big smile before resuming his destruction business and winning a second round, a copy of the first.
In the third, there was only one player on the court, the 21st in the world showing more and more physical limits like his two double faults at 0-3 which allowed his opponent to fly to a 36th Grand Slam victory in a row against a player who is not a member of the top 20.
