On the edge of the abyss, unrecognizable at times, subdued by the good work of his rival, Carlos Alcaraz saved a
match point
and a 3-0 deficit in the fifth set and beat Albert Ramos-Viñolas 6-1, 6- 7 (7), 5-7, 7-6 (2) and 6-4, in four hours and 34 minutes, qualifying for the third round of Roland Garros.
In one of those matches that also mark the trajectory of the great tennis players, in the absence of his best game, the sixth-seeded team used ardor, resilience and courage to finish off the intelligent opposition of the Barcelona player, who crashed a forehand into the net in the fourth set with 5-4 and 40-30 at service and two partials to one advantage.
It was a different version of the Murcian, defined at the point with which he got the final
break
in the ninth game of the fifth set, after chasing several impossible balls and forcing the error of his opponent, who threw his racket to the clay as evidence of despair.
We did not see the creative and daring tennis player of other occasions, but we did see a warrior capable of getting out of extreme situations.
Rarely has he been seen this season as overwhelmed as he was in many moments this Wednesday.
In neither of his two confrontations with Nadal, nor against Novak Djokovic, nor in the two of the current course against Tsitsipas.
He has only three defeats, those suffered against Berrettini in Australia, against Nadal in Indian Wells and against Korda in Monte Carlo and had to save two
match points
against Alex de Miñaur in the Barcelona semifinals, but since his appearance he had not transmitted that feeling of bewilderment he experienced against Ramos-Viñolas.
74 unforced errors
On a windy afternoon in Paris, the Simone Mathieu track, the third in the hierarchy of the venue, enjoyed a superb intergenerational confrontation, the duel between a 19-year-old newcomer who has exploded with the force of thunder and a veteran fighter of 34 who gave an example of strategic clairvoyance and combativeness.
Alcaraz overcame 74 unforced errors and a balance of eight of 31 on
break
balls .
In a tournament with nods to the unexpected, where Stefanos Tsitsipas and Alexander Zverev lifted two adverse sets against Lorenzo Musetti and Sebastián Báez, Alcaraz also came out alive from a match on the limit, from which he will surely come out even more revitalized.
Alcaraz is also a nightmare for his compatriots as well, whom he defeats regardless of rank.
This season he has successively beaten Roberto Bautista (Indian Wells), Jaume Munar (Rio and Barcelona), Pablo Carreño (Barcelona) and Rafael Nadal, whom he beat in Madrid after taking him to the third set in Indian Wells, and now Ramos- Vinolas.
After being overwhelmed in the first set, the Catalan, an intelligent player who knows how to annoy his rivals, especially on clay, was bringing forward his services, with which he was hurting, and narrowed the score.
The Murcian was 5-4 and 0-30 down in the second set, but his hand did not shake.
Nor in the same trance two games later, restlessness suffocated with a climb to the net and a drop.
He did not reach him in an irregular playoff, which he gave up on the third opportunity.
Alcaraz could not find the north of him.
Disconcerted, he let a rival do what was faithful to his script, opening the track well and working on the points as necessary.
Ramos-Viñolas, who had lost in his two previous duels with him, but always putting up a fight, also won the third and had the match in hand.
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tennis
Carlos Alcaraz
Rafael Nadal
Novak Djokovic