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French Open 2023 results: Carlos Alcaraz & Stefanos Tsitsipas through to third round

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Published in Tennis
Wednesday, 31 May 2023 10:51

World number one Carlos Alcaraz came through a tricky test against Japan's Taro Daniel to reach the French Open third round.

The Spaniard dropped the second set to the world number 97 but ultimately prevailed 6-1 3-6 6-1 6-2.

Alcaraz will face Canada's Denis Shapovalov next as he continues his bid for a second Grand Slam title.

Earlier, fifth seed Stefanos Tsitsipas reached the third round with a win over Spain's Roberto Carballes Baena.

The Greek, runner-up at Roland Garros in 2021, won 6-3 7-6 (7-4) 6-2.

Alcaraz, top seed at a major for the first time in his career, is one of the favourites for the title having won last year's US Open.

The 20-year-old cruised to the first set but was broken early in the second by Daniel, who has claimed impressive wins over Grand Slam runners-up Casper Ruud and Matteo Berrettini this year.

However Alcaraz responded strongly, breaking a further five times across the final two sets to complete a routine win.

"I'm winning all the time because I am smiling," Alcaraz said. "And I always said that smiling, for me, is the key of everything.

"I enjoy being this kind of stadium, these kind of tournament, cities. That's the most important for me to enjoy, and that's why I smile all the time."

'It's a spiritual surface' - Tsitsipas on Paris clay

Tsitsipas has never won a Grand Slam, having lost in the French Open and Australian Open finals.

He broke Carballes Baena twice in winning the first set and, although he broke twice again in the second, Carballes Baena responded immediately each time as four games in a row went against serve.

Tsitsipas took the tie-break, quickly went 4-0 up in the third and served out to complete victory in two hours 16 minutes.

Asked about the way clay courts are cleaned and watered between sets, he said: "Those rituals, I have seen them over and over again.

"It's kind of ingrained in me and it's part of my identity.

"It's a cleansing of the soul. It's just like a knife. You let the old pass and you start with the new."

The 24-year-old will play Diego Schwartzman next after the Argentine beat Portugal's Nuno Borges 7-6 (7-3) 6-4 6-3.

'Winning in these atmospheres makes dark days worth it'

There was a five-set thriller on Court Simonne-Mathieu as Thanasi Kokkinakis of Australia, having beaten Britain's Dan Evans in the first round, overcame 2015 champion Stan Wawrinka.

The Swiss three-time Grand Slam champion took the first set but Kokkinakis rallied to win 3-6 7-5 6-3 6-7 (4-7) 6-3.

Kokkinakis won the men's doubles with Nick Kyrgios at the 2022 Australian Open but has never gone beyond the third round in singles at a Grand Slam.

After suffering shoulder, pectoral, groin, knee and elbow injuries earlier in his career - as well as a serious bout of glandular fever that led to two hospital stays in 2020 - the 27-year-old wondered whether his chance had gone.

"I hit an age where I thought about quitting pretty early on," he said. "I think I was 21 or 22.

"I played a couple of matches and tried to look back on the good moments that I had and good wins I had in the past and used those to fuel me.

"There's a lot of dark days, but winning those matches in those atmospheres is what makes it worth it.

"I've missed a lot of opportunities in the past due to injury and other stuff, but I've still got a bit of my career left. I'm going to try to make the most of it while I can."

Kokkinakis will play 11th seed Karen Khachanov in the third round after the Russian's 6-3 6-4 6-2 win over Radu Albot of Moldova.

Juan Pablo Varillas of Peru came from two sets down to complete a surprise 1-6 4-6 6-3 6-1 6-1 win over Spanish 19th seed Roberto Bautista Agut.

Italy's Fabio Fognini is also through after a 6-4 7-6 (7-5) 6-2 win over Jason Kubler of Australia.

Fognini will play the Austrian Sebastian Ofner, who beat American 24th seed Sebastian Korda 6-3 7-6 (7-1) 6-4 to reach the third round for the first time.

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