The Greek Stefanos Tsitsipas will meet the Spaniard Carlos Alcaraz in the quarter-finals at Roland-Garros.
AFP
Stefanos Tsitsipas was manhandled on Sunday by the Italian Matteo Arnaldi, but the 2021 finalist won his ticket for the quarter-finals of Roland-Garros where he will face Carlos Alcaraz, imperial against Félix Auger-Aliassime.
“I had to get off my ass,” Tsitsipas joked in French after his 3-6, 7-6 (7/4), 6-2, 6-2 victory over Arnaldi.
“There was quality in my shots, but he didn’t give up. He pushed me to my limits and I can say that he is one of the most difficult opponents I have faced this season on clay,” continued the 25-year-old Greek, winner this year in Monte-Carlo and finalist in Barcelona.
The standoff took place in the second set which lasted 76 minutes: trailing 5-3, Tsitsipas managed to break the break when Arnaldi served at 5-4 for the set. By winning the tie break, he broke the dike: Arnaldi continued to fight, but without managing to prevent his opponent from piling up the games until victory.
The revenge of 2023
His next match constitutes one of the expected shocks at the bottom of the men’s table: like last year at the same stage, Tsitsipas will face Alcaraz, 2023 semi-finalist and also a candidate for the title this year.
The Spaniard leads 5-0 in their duels, and said he enjoyed facing Tsistipas. “I hope to make him say that it is not so pleasant to play against me,” retorted the Greek on Sunday.
Alcaraz, whose preparation was very disrupted by an injury to his right forearm, continued on his merry way: Auger-Aliassime (21st) was sent back to the locker room without ever having been threatening and beaten 6-3, 6- 3, 6-1.
A first for Dimitrov
The Bulgarian Grigor Dimitrov qualified for the first time in his career for the quarter-finals of Roland-Garros thanks to his victory in three sets against the Pole Hubert Hurkacz 7-6 (7/5), 6-4, 7 -6 (7/3).
The world No. 10’s last best result in a Grand Slam dates back to 2021 with a quarter-final at the Australian Open. Dimitrov will meet for a place in the semi-final the winner of the meeting between the Italian world No. 2 Jannik Sinner and the French Corentin Moutet (79th), at night.
Swiatek in 40 minutes flat
The day started with one of the fastest matches in the history of Roland-Garros. In the women’s draw, the big favorite Iga Swiatek beat her Russian opponent Anastasia Potapova (41st) 6-0, 6-0 in 40 minutes. Swiatek left Potapova with only ten points in total.
The 22-year-old Pole is more than ever the big favorite to win her fourth title on Parisian soil after 2020, 2022 and 2023, her fifth Major (with the US Open 2022).
The world No. 1 will face the Czech Marketa Vondrousova (6th), winner of Wimbledon last year and finalist at Roland-Garros in 2019, who dismissed the Serbian Olga Danilovic (125th and qualified) 6-4 at Lenglen, 6-2.
After Swiatek and while waiting for Alcaraz, the Central public had on the program the match between the American Coco Gauff (3rd) and the Italian Elisabetta Cocciaretto (51st). There was no duel, the winner of the last US Open dispatching her opponent 6-1, 6-2. The 20-year-old American will face the Tunisian Ons Jabeur (9th) in the quarters on Tuesday, winning in straight sets on Sunday against the Dane Clara Tauson (72nd in the world) 6-4, 6-4.
(AFP)
