Carlos Alcaraz easily moved into the fourth round of the 2023 Roland Garros after beating Denis Shapovalov.
In the first two rounds, the young Spaniard was impressive but not flawless. After besting Flavio Cobolli in three sets, he lost a set to Taro Daniel, and he surely wanted to put on another dominant performance in the third-round match against Denis Shapovalov, who he met for the first time on the ATP Tour.
On the other hand, the Canadian didn't really have any goals in Paris as he was coming back from an injury, and so facing someone who was called the greatest player at 20 was surely a great challenge for Shapovalov.
The first set was a fireworks show, with Alcaraz displaying such a powerful game that it was a one-sided affair. The Spanish prodigy held firm command from the onset, jumping to a swift lead thanks to two breaks.
Though Shapovalov averted a bagel after Alcaraz had two set points in the sixth game, his efforts seemed futile against Alcaraz's relentless onslaught, ending the first set 6-1 in the top seed's favor.
Shapovalov's performance in the second set was improved, at least in the first part of the second set. The Canadian had his moments, breaking Alcaraz twice - a feat that demands recognition. But while Shapovalov showcased his fighting spirit, his game was marred by a staggering 19 unforced errors, resulting in the second set slipping from his grip as well, as the 20-year-old won it 6-4.
In the third set, Alcaraz controlled the game and made sure that he won't need to go into four sets again as his opponent still struggled to find his footing. After an hour and 12 minutes, Alcaraz won the match 6-1, 6-4, 6-2, to reach the fourth round of the 2023 Roland Garros and come another step closer to a possible semifinal meeting with Novak Djokovic who also won on three sets on Friday.
Talking to Marion Bartoli after the match in front of the packed Court Philippe-Chatrier, the young Spaniard was happy about his performance and making sure that he will be able to play yet another match this year at Roland Garros.
"I felt great, I think I played a great level the whole match. In the second set, I was in trouble a little but, I started to make a little bit more mistakes than in the first and third sets. But I had to be there, be strong mentally, and I knew that I will have my chances in the second set to come back and that's what I did. All I can say is I'm really happy with my level today and I hope to take this level to the next round."
The 20-year-old also had a chance to speak about his dreams and aspirations for the future after the former French player named all of his achievements and everything that he accomplished in his very young career.
"I reached my dreams already so quick, I didn't expect that honestly. I did great things in such a short period of my career. But I want to be there, my dream right now in tennis is to win every tournament that I play, of course, fighting for every Grand Slam and trying to compete against top guys, [Novak] Djokovic for example. And obviously, to win more titles."
Alcaraz also spoke about his next opponent, Lorenzo Musetti who stunned Cameron Norrie shortly before the Spaniard started his match, knowing that he lost in their last meeting on the ATP Tour.
"I was watching before my match, he won minutes before I started playing. I know him really well, we played many tournaments when we were kids. We played last year, he beat me, but I'm going to take revenge now. But it's going to be a fun match and I hope people are going to enjoy it as well."
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