No. 6 Alcaraz needs five sets to advance past Ramos-vinolas
PARIS — If 19-year-old Carlos Alcaraz eventually reaches the heights many believe he will, the folks at Court Simonne Mathieu on Wednesday night might regale dinner guests for years with tales that begin, “We were there when … .”
Not the match point the sixth-seeded Alcaraz saved in his second-round French Open marathon win against Albert Ramos-vinolas, 6-1,
6-7 (7), 5-7, 7-6 (2), 6-4.
Instead, it was on a break point at 4-all in the fifth, with Alcaraz leading and Ramos-vinolas serving, the stadium clock already reading 4 hours, 31 minutes. During a long rally, Ramos-vinolas sent Alcaraz scrambing from one side of the court to the other before Alcaraz sent a down-the-line backhand passing shot that Ramos-vinola volleyed into the net.
Ramos-vinola chucked his racket into the net. Alcaraz raised his arms and index fingers to the sky — a gesture for “No. 1,” a spot expected of him one day, perhaps soon. Alcaraz wouldn’t cede another point.
“It’s great that the people talk about you, think that I’m going to be No. 1 in the world, but of course it’s a little bit of pressure on me,” Alcaraz said.
The day also included straight-set victories for defending champion Novak Djokovic and 13-time champion Rafael Nadal, along with a comeback from a two-set hole for No. 3 seed Alexander Zverev, who like Alcaraz needed to save a match point.
There were losses for reigning U.S. Open champion Emma Raducanu — the 19-year-old’s French Open debut ended against Aliaksandra Sasnovich with a 3-6, 6-1, 6-1 defeat — and No. 4 seed Maria Sakkari, while Olympic gold medalist Belinda Bencic beat 2019 U.S. Open champion Bianca Andreescu 6-2, 6-4.