Spain’s Carlos Alcaraz, 21, advanced to the French Open third round, overcoming a mid-match slump to defeat Dutch qualifier Jesper de Jong, 23, with a score of 6-3, 6-4, 2-6, 6-2 on Wednesday.
Under the Court Philippe Chatrier roof, the third seed worked hard for a two-set lead, but De Jong, ranked 176th, pushed back, causing Alcaraz to suffer a third-set lapse. The Spaniard continued to struggle in the fourth set, with the first four games going against serve, and frustration evident on his face.
However, Alcaraz regained control, holding serve for a 3-2 lead and breaking De Jong in the next game as his opponent began to tire. Alcaraz then accelerated towards victory, ending the match in just over three hours when De Jong netted a forehand.
“Every player can trouble you, and you have to focus on every point, every round, regardless of rankings,” Alcaraz said in his on-court interview. “It’s good for me to get some rhythm but I prefer to spend fewer hours on court.”
Alcaraz, who had not played since a muscular problem sidelined him in Madrid, now prepares to face either American 27th seed Sebastian Korda or South Korea’s Kwon Soon-woo in the next round.
