At Roland Garros
What does a destiny depend on? For Carlos Alcaraz, one band from the net. The one on which Ramos Vinolas, the opponent and compatriot of the 19-year-old kid, returned his match point at 5-4 in the fourth set. Like Alexander Zverev a little earlier in the center against the Argentinian Baez (2-6, 4-6, 6-1, 6-2, 7-5), Alcaraz almost saw his adventure end in the second Roland-Garros tower. Before raising his arms after 4:34 of an already legendary match of this 2022 vintage (6-1, 6-7, 5-7, 7-6, 6-4).
But frankly, the 19-year-old Spaniard, who landed with the sign of favorite after his successes this year in Miami, Rio, Barcelona and Madrid, came close to making an express visit to Paris. After unfolding in the first set (6-1), Alcaraz gradually sank against his 34-year-old compatriot.
A huge waste in the game
Without complex, Ramos Vinolas played the match of his life for a long time to win the next two sets before getting a match point in the fourth set. Horrible on the backhand, not much better on the forehand, pissed off and annoyed, the announced new ogre of world tennis only frightened the plants in the greenhouses located around the Simonne-Mathieu court. Until the miracle at the end of the 4th set. “After saving the match point, I felt I had my chances. I think that after the 4th set I was fresher like at the start of the match, ”assures the Spaniard.
Yeah, we will then ignore the fact that he was quickly led 3-0 in the 5th set before coming back again from nowhere. Thanks above all to his talent which remained intact on the important points. If he had a lot of waste, Alcaraz especially put in his pocket the public of the Simonne-Mathieu court as on this break point at 4-4 where he saved three ends in a row by traversing the court at breakneck speed .
Crazy points and public ovation
An incredible point which triggered a crazy ovation and definitively tilted the meeting and the public in the camp of the young prodigy. “Thanks to the public, I felt like I was at home, it was incredible. I felt the support from start to finish, that’s what allowed me to win,” admitted Alcaraz after the match.
Well, we will still have to show more in the third round and quickly go and buy a backhand to continue to justify this label of favorite. But when we pass so close to the abyss, the future can only be better in a tournament undoubtedly relieved to keep one of its new headliners.