Alcaraz survives Marozsan scare to keep French Open defence on track

Paris: Carlos Alcaraz added another feather to his growing cap on Wednesday as the defending champion surged into the third round of Roland Garros 2025 with a commanding four-set win over World No. 56 Fabian Marozsan.

The 21-year-old Spaniard not only moved a step closer to defending his title but also achieved a remarkable personal milestone—becoming the second-fastest man to notch up 20 match wins at Roland Garros in the Open Era since 2000. He reached the landmark in just 23 matches, trailing only Rafael Nadal, the undisputed king of clay.

Alcaraz’s 6-3, 3-6, 6-1, 6-2 victory was a showcase of mental resilience and tactical brilliance. Under the closed roof of Court Philippe Chatrier—forced by mid-match rain—the match briefly tilted in favour of Marozsan.

The Hungarian, who stunned Alcaraz in Rome last year, used his touch and variety to snatch the second set with a flurry of drop shots and clever net play. But Alcaraz responded with characteristic flair, turning up the tempo in the third and fourth sets and leaving the crowd in awe with his athleticism and shot-making.

“It was a great, great match. I played well in the first set. I had really high confidence. In the second set, he started to play much better—really aggressively—and didn’t miss at all,” Alcaraz said post-match. “It was a little bit difficult dealing with his game in the second set, but I was pleased to stay strong and refreshed in the third set.”

Statistically, Alcaraz outclassed his opponent. He won 71 percent of points on his first serve and fired 41 winners, 19 more than Marozsan, to dominate the match in just over two hours.

“It’s always a special feeling to play here. This court has given me some of the most unforgettable moments of my career,” he said.

Up next for the World No. 2 is a third-round meeting against either France’s towering wildcard Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard or Bosnia’s veteran campaigner Damir Dzumhur.

Italian Lorenzo Musetti continued his renaissance when he eased into the third round with a no-nonsense 6-4 6-0 6-4 victory against Colombian lucky loser Daniel Galan.

The eighth-seeded Musetti’s main trouble was intermittent rain on court Simonne Matthieu as he set up a meeting with Argentine Mariano Navone who beat Reilly Opelka 6-1, 7-6, 6-3.

Norway’s Casper Ruud, the French Open runner-up in 2022 and 2023, crashed out of the tournament after losing 2-6 6-4 6-1 6-0 to the unseeded Nuno Borges of Portugal.

Ruud, a clay court specialist, looked to be cruising to an easy win when he bagged the first set 6-2 in 41 minutes.

On the women’s side, it was a day of gritty determination and emotional strength for Ukraine’s Elina Svitolina, who reached the third round of Roland Garros for the 10th time in her career. The former World No. 3 defeated Hungary’s Anna Bondar 7-6(4), 7-5 in a tightly contested match that saw her dig deep at key moments.

Svitolina was cheered on from the stands by none other than her husband, Gael Monfils, who had lit up the tournament on Tuesday night with a marathon five-set win that had the French crowd on its feet. Monfils’ energy seemed to flow into Svitolina, who credited his presence as a key motivation behind her strong performance.

China's Olympic gold medallist Zheng Qinwen defeated Emiliana Arango of Colombia in a won a tough two-setter. The No. 8 seed overcame the challenge of Arango 6-2, 6-3 in a 1-hour, 37-minute contest that was a good deal tougher than the scoreline suggested. Arango was one of nine players making her Grand Slam debut in this year's main draw, and Zheng will next face another -- the surging 18-year-old qualifier Victoria Mboko, who advanced 6-4, 6-4 over Eva Lys.

Zheng was joined by another top 10 seed, No. 4 Jasmine Paolini, who came through 6-3, 6-3 over Ajla Tomljanovic on Court Philippe-Chatrier. The Rome champion extended her winning streak to eight matches for the season.

Paolini, who also finished runner-up at Wimbledon 2024, will next face lucky loser Yuliia Starodubtseva, who made it into the third round of a Grand Slam for the first time by defeating Anastasia Potapova 7-6(4), 6-2.

Brazilian teen Joao Fonseca made a sparkling Roland Garros debut when he ousted the in-form Hubert Hurkacz 6-2, 6-4, 6-2, becoming the second-youngest match winner at the clay-court major in the past 10 years.

The 18-year-old is the second-youngest match winner at the clay-court major in the past 10 years, only behind an 18-year-old Carlos Alcaraz in 2021, according to ATP stats.

In other second round matches, Damir Dzumhur beat Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard 7-6, 6-4, 4-6, 6-4, Karen Khachanov beat Sebastian Ofner 7-5, 3-6, 7-5, 4-6, 6-2, Quentin Halys beat Miomir Kecmanovic 4-6, 6-3, 7-6, 7-5, Hamad Medjedovic beat Juan Manuel Cerundolo 6-3, 6-4, 7-5, Alexei Popyrin beat Alejandro Tabilo 7-5, 6-3, 6-4.

In women’s section, Olga Danilovic beat Danielle Collins 6-4, 3-6, 6-4, Clara Tauson beat Arantxa Rus 7-6, 7-5, Bernarda Pera beat Donna Vekic 6-2, 4-6, 7-6, Yuliia Starodubtseva beat Anastasia Potapova 7-6, 6-2, Agencies

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