ATP
French Open 2025 Men’s Day 4
Holder Carlos Alcaraz lost his first set of the fortnight on Wednesday at the French Open but did not let the setback stop him from a third-round spot in the clay classic.
The second seed who beat Alexander Zverev for the trophy a year ago, overcame Hungarian Fabian Maroszan 6-1, 4-6, 6-1, 6-2
The 22-year-old became the first man born in the 2000’s to win 20 matches here, reaching the Paris third round for the fifth time.
Alcaraz slipped in the second set as his underdog opponent claimed that set; but the Spaniard quickly re-established his level to run out the winner in just over two hours.
“I started well with high confidence,” he said. In the second set he started playing better, more aggressive and not missing at all.
“It was difficult to deal with his game. But I was happy to stay strong, refresh and play better in the last two sets.”
Two-time finalist Casper Ruud found himself a shock upset victim of Portuguese Nuno Borges,with the Norwegian seventh seed beaten 2-6, 6-4, 6-1, 6-0.
The top Scandinavian revealed that he has been trying to manage injury over the last weeks of the clay campaign.
“For the last couple of weeks I’ve been struggling with knee pain on and off. I first felt it in Monte Carlos so it’s been with me the entire clay season.
“When you’re practising, it’s easier to avoid certain movements that are painful.
“But when you’re playing matches, you can’t really control it; you do everything you can to get to every ball.
“Sometimes you kind of forget that this is a shot I shouldn’t go for in terms of pain in the knee. When you play a match, you go full on.”
The Norwegian complained that ATP regulations are forcing some to compete while still hurt.
“It’s tough especially (to skip) mandatory events because the punishments are quite hard. Everyone else will play, gain points, and you won’t.
“There’s a certain bonus system that is reduced if you don’t show up to the mandatory events.
“One hand you don’t want to show up injured. But if you don’t play a mandatory event, they cut 25 per cent of your year-end bonus.
“You’re forcing players to show up injured or sick, or whatever, when that is not what I think is very fair.”
Newly minted seventh seed Lorenzo Musetti produced his second consecutive straight-set sweep, defeating Colombian lucky Loser Daniel Galan 6-4, 6-0, 6-4.
The Italian, who reached the Rome semi-finals, is hoping that his clay momentum will carry him to a personal best at Roland Garros.
“It’s been a tremendous clay season so far. But the ambitions now are higher. Of course, here I never reached more than the fourth round,” he said after achieving his 10th victory here.
“Hopefully this will be the year. The mentality is to try to beat everyone.
“I think I’ll have the chances to play (well against) everyone here. Hopefully I’ll take those chances.”
The Paris Olympic bronze medalist has won 15 of his 18 clay matches this season.
Australian Alexei Popyrin defeated Alejandro Tabilo 7-5, 6-3, 6-4 while American giant Reilly Opelka fell 6-1, 7-6 (1), 6-3 to Argentine Marino Navone.
Runner-up four years ago, Stefanos Tsitsipas, was ambushed 6-4, 5-7, 6-2, 6-4 by Italian lefthander Matteo Gigante, who saved four break points as he served for the upset..
Alexander Zverev on Thursday made a long-sought after return to the Shanghai Masters semi-finals, booking his first final four at the event since 2019, defeating Alex de Minaur 6-4, 6-4.
The 2027 year-end No. 1 last got this far as the Covid pandemic began to surface in China in 2019. The event was not played 2020-2022, with the German making modest progress here over the past three editions since resumption.
After winning his 62nd match of the season, the 29-year-old was pleased with his performance.
“I think it was a huge step up. From just being on the court I felt both of us were playing really well.
“I was, a lot of the time, outhitting Alex, which is difficult to do from the baseline because he is so fast and he loves this kind of court speed here.
“I felt good and I’m happy with the step up from the past couple of matches.”
Zverev advanced in 78 minutes, sending over 10 aces as he defeated the Australian for the ninth time in their 13 matches.
Added the reigning Roland Garros and Flushing Meadows Grand Slam champion: “I’ve been handling pressure quite okay this year. In a way you play a bit more relaxed.
“Once Jannik (SInner) unfortunately announced he won’t play for the rest of the year, I’m 4,000 points ahead of everyone else, so I trust myself enough that I’m going to win [enough matches].
Zverev will play for the final to wrap up the Asian swing as he takes on Spain’s Alejandro Davidovich Fokina, who advanced when Arthur Gea quit their quarter-final with injury.
Alexander Zverev marked his new status as sure-thing year-end No. 1 by reaching the quarter-finals of the Shanghai Masters on Tuesday by posting a fighting 7-6 (6), 4-6, 7-6 (1) victory over Alexander Bublik..
The 29-year-old German whose two Grand Slam titles this season and the absence of injured Jannik Sinner helped him into the top spot for the first time, needed to save four early set points and deal with an ank;e issue on his journey into the last eight.
Zverev moved through in just under two and three-quarter hours to set up a match with last week’s Beijing finalist Alex de Minaur, The Australian booked his spot over Karen Khachanov 6-3, 6-4.
Zverev will be playing in his 40th quarter-final in a Masters 1000 and is on the hunt for an eighth trophy this season.
He said his ankle was giving problems – but not enough to affect the match outcome.”It was kind of understandable because I have been playing a lot of tennis, which is kind of a good sign because I have been playing well.
“I’m starting to feel my body more and more but happy to get through. It was a difficult match because he has been playing amazing tennis,” he said after coming from a break down in the deciding set.
De Minaur has bounced back nicely in Shanghai after quitting the Tokyo final against Carlos Alcaraz with an adductor muscle injury.
Stefanos Tsitsipas willed himself to a 401st Tour win on Monday, with the Greek advancing to the Shanghai Masters 3-6, 7-5, 6-3, over world No. 12 Taylor Fritz to reach the fourth round.
The win leaves the Greek with a 5-2 record against the American in a series dating back nine years.
The cerebral Tsitsipas credited the victory to some simple mental gymnastics.
“I was manifesting today’s match and trying to put myself in a victorious situation,” he said.
“I’ve always had big fights against him. Some of my biggest matches were played facing him on the other side of the court. I had to up my level.
“Once I started doing that, a lot of doors were open and I was really able to unleash my biggest potential out there.”
The match ended on an unusual note as the ball twice fell from the pocket of Fritz, causing each of the points in question to be replayed.
Tsitsipas missed on three match points in the mistake-marred game but secured the fightback victory a game later after two and a quarter hours.
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