Alcaraz Stays Out Of Trouble

Defending champion sidesteps Marozsan banana skin; Zheng maintains form on Paris clay

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Defending champion Carlos Alcaraz deftly handled a dangerous opponent at the French Open on May 28, when he defeated unseeded Hungarian Fabian Marozsan 6-1, 4-6, 6-1, 6-2 to reach the third round.

The Spaniard was toppled by Marozsan on the clay courts of Rome in 2023 and had moments of vulnerability on Court Philippe-Chatrier, but the 22-year-old second seed ensured there would be no unwanted encore ending his bid for a fifth Grand Slam title.

"It was a great, great match," Alcaraz said. "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.

"It was a little bit difficult dealing with his game in the second set but I was pleased to stay strong and refresh in the third set and I started to play better and better. I had a really good last two sets.

"Sometimes it is difficult to have fun on the court, I have to suffer. I want to enjoy when I step onto court and not think about anything else. I want to play good tennis and make the people enjoy my matches."