May 25, (THEWILL) – An early upset was averted at Roland Garros as Carlos Alcaraz required all five sets to beat fellow Spaniard Albert Ramos-Vinolas in the second round of Roland-Garros, winning 6-1 6-7(7-9) 5-7 7-6(7-2) 6-4.
After a breakout 2021 season that catapulted him into contention as a serious contender in the men’s game, the teenage Spaniard was one of the pre-tournament favourites. This was more so after beating Novak Djokovic and Rafa Nadal ahead of the French Open.
Yet, Alcaraz’s undoubted talent aside, and despite winning the opening set 6-1, he was pressed hard by his compatriot in the sets that followed all the way to the decider.
Ramos-Vinolas won a tight tie break and then won the second set, meaning Alcaraz had to play all five sets to win. It seemed Ramos-Vinolas knew how to tackle Alcaraz’s groundstrokes as he countered the teenager and matched his baseline serves.
However, the tide turned in Alcaraz’s favour in the fifth set. This time, a tie-break went the teenager’s way, and he won with an easier final set to advance to the third round.
Jude Obafemi is a versatile senior Correspondent at THEWILL Newspapers, excelling in sourcing, researching, and delivering sports news stories for both print and digital publications.
