Round 2 of the French Open began on Wednesday and featured some of the sport’s biggest stars.
On the first day of the second round, Carlos Alcaraz won the four-set victory over Fabian Malossan. The men’s singles competition also boasts American talent as No. 23 Sebastian Korda faced Jenson Brooksby in an All-USA conflict. Meanwhile, Tommy Paul returned from two sets of descent to avoid upset at the hands of Hungary’s Malton Fukkovis.
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On the women’s side, the best in the world only needed two sets to win. World No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka and defending French open champion Igaświątek advanced after dusting their respective enemies.
Sabalenka will move to face Olga Danilovich, but Schwi Tek will meet Jacqueline Christian on May 30th and move towards the collision course in the semi-finals.
Carlos Alcaraz moves forward after dropping the set
Carlos Alcaraz won the Fabian Malossan on Wednesday to advance to the third round of the French Open. (Reuters/Dennis Balib House)
(Reuters/Reuters)
Alcaraz’s title defense continues after winning four sets over Fabian Marotsang. The 22-year-old Spaniard notched his 20th Roland Garos victory, 6-1, 4-6, 6-1, 6-2.
In addition to moving forward in the tournament, Alcaraz also rebounded after losing to the Marroz San in the ATP Masters 1000 event in Rome two years ago. After dropping the second set, Alkaraz ruled third and fourth to secure the victory.
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“It was a great, great game,” Alcaraz said. “I played well in the first set. I was really confident. In the second set, he started playing much better and really aggressively and didn’t miss anything at all.
“It was a bit difficult to deal with his game in the second set, but I was delighted to be strong and refreshed in the third set.
Alkaraz faces Damir Jumful in the third round, with world No. 1 Janik Sinner waiting for a second round match against Richard Gasquet on Thursday. Both stars prefer to meet in championship matches as Alcaraz holds a 10-6 head-to-head lead at Italian counterparts.
Tommy Paul doesn’t get mad at the surge of three sets
Tommy Paul gathered from two sets of downs on Wednesday to advance to the third round of the French Open. (Susan Murane/Imaging Image)
(Imaging images via Reuters Connect/Reuters)
Tommy Paul also made particular advances on Wednesday after he was nearly upset by Malton Fuccovis. After descending 0-2 (6-4, 6-2), Paul met in three straight sets (6-3, 7-5, 6-4) to secure a third round meeting with No. 24 Karen Khachanov.
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The Americans found themselves in unfamiliar territory in two sets of holes, and then created an emotional comeback for unranked opponents. Paul, who was 12th, won the junior tournament at Roland Garros in 2015.
With Wednesday’s victory, Paul will make his second three-round appearance at the French Open. His final appearance was last year, following the exits in the second round of 2020, 2021 and 2023. Paul’s French Open Run last year faced Francisco Cerundo in a four-set match.
Igaświątek, Aryna Sabalena shines in the second round
Igaświątek defeated Emma Radukanu in round two. (Reuters/Dennis Balibhouse)
(Reuters/Reuters)
Igaświątek is one step closer to the fourth straight Roland Garos title, fifth in six years. Polish senses won against British Emma Ladukane, 6-1, 6-2.
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Wednesday’s victory saw świątek improve to 5-0 against Radukanu, extending the Clay Court victory in the Grand Slam to 23 games. The victory will sweep Radkanu 6-1, 6-0 at its final meeting at the Australian Open in January. świątek wiped out British rivals in all 10 sets.
“I felt good in court so I could do whatever I had planned and whatever I could,” said świątek. “This place inspires me and makes me work hard.”
World No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka bid for her first French open title, impressively beating Jil Teichmann, 6-3, 6-1. This follows a 6-1, 6-0 victory over Kamila Rakimova in the first round. The Swiss Southpaw rocked Sabalenka early in the first set, and the top-seeded player used his calm to overcome early adversity. Sabalenka leveled set 3-3 and grabbed control with a quick and dominant victory.
“She started off really well and played her best game, and it’s always tricky against her,” Sabalenka said of Teichiman. “Her variety is crazy. I was trying to find a rhythm. I’m happy he went down his serve from 3-1. I got more energy. It was a tough match.
