PARIS — Carlos Alcaraz called himself for breaking the rules at the French Open and conceded a point to Ben Shelton on Sunday during the defending champion's 7-6 (8), 6-3, 4-6, 6-4 victory in the fourth round.
Early in the second set, Shelton whipped a passing shot well out of Alcaraz's reach up at the net. So Alcaraz flung his racket — and, as his equipment flipped through the air, its strings somehow not only made contact with the ball but sent it back over the net and onto the other side of the court.
Initially, the second-seeded Alcaraz was awarded the point. But he immediately went over to the chair umpire to admit that he wasn't holding his racket when it touched the ball. That's not allowed, so the point went to Shelton, an American seeded 13th.
When the official informed the Court Philippe-Chatrier crowd what had happened, Alcaraz was given a round of applause.
This all happened at what could have been a critical moment, because instead of leading 40-30 on his serve, Alcaraz was now down 30-40, giving Shelton his first break point of the match. But Alcaraz saved that one — and five others in that 20-point game — along the way to taking a two-set lead in an entertaining matchup between a pair of 22-year-olds who hit the ball hard.
The 13th-seeded Shelton, twice a semifinalist at majors, delivered serves at up to 143 mph (230 kph) and forehands at up to 116 mph (187 kph). Alcaraz, already a four-time Grand Slam champion, showed off various parts of his repertoire.
It was tighter than the score might indicate: Shelton held three opportunities to own the opening set, leading in the tiebreaker at 6-4, 6-5 and 7-6. Take any of the subsequent points, and Shelton would own that set.
But Alcaraz — who meets No. 12 Tommy Paul of the U.S. in the quarterfinals Tuesday — saved the first with a service winner. Shelton netted a backhand on the next. And the last ended with Shelton smacking a backhand right at the body of Alcaraz, who was up at the net and contorted himself in order to chop a drop volley winner.
Alcaraz then converted his second set point, closing a 15-stroke exchange with a down-the-line forehand that drew a mistake from Shelton.
The third set went to Shelton when Alcaraz put a forehand into the net, and the big-swinging American punched the air, then his chest, and screamed: “Let's go, baby! Come on!”
The fourth swung Alcaraz’s way when he used a drop shot winner to set up a break point that he claimed for a 2-1 edge and, after a total of 3 hours, 19 minutes, he was able to finish off an 11th consecutive win at Roland-Garros.
Paul, Tiafoe break American drought at Roland-Garros
PARIS (AP) — Before Frances Tiafoe played a point at this French Open, he wasn't particularly enthusiastic about its surface — or his chances in the tournament.
“Last tournament on clay, which I get really excited about,” Tiafoe said on the eve of the Grand Slam event at Roland-Garros. “And then we get on the real stuff, the grass and the summer hard courts — where tennis actually matters.”
Might have a different point of view now. The 15th-seeded Tiafoe made his way into the quarterfinals at the French Open for the first time with a 6-3, 6-4, 7-6 (4) victory over Daniel Altmaier of Germany on Sunday night, joining 12th-seeded Tommy Paul to put a pair of American men in the round of eight.
It's the first time the country placed more than one man in the quarterfinals in Paris since 1996, when Jim Courier and Pete Sampras did it together. Zero men from the United States had made it this far in any year since Andre Agassi in 2003.
And Tiafoe — who celebrated his win by twice shouting a phrase that can't be quoted fully here but included the words “let's” and “go” — has done it without dropping a set.
Quite a turnaround for a guy whose big-strike tennis long suffered on the slow red clay. He began his French Open career with a 0-6 record before getting his first win in 2022 and one more last year.
“On clay, I get a little more passive than on other surfaces, because the court doesn’t help me play as fast as I would like,” said Tiafoe, twice a semifinalist on the hard courts of the U.S. Open, where speedy shots are rewarded and the loud crowds and bright lights tend to bring out his best. “Patience is a thing I struggle with.”
Look at him now, though.
And listen to something else he said when he met with reporters a little more than a week ago, with a dash of his usual sense of humor: “Overall, I'm a big believer it can all change in a week. When I'm backed up against it, it seems like I start to produce my best tennis, because I have to if I want to continue living the life I want to live.”
Tiafoe, a 27-year-old from Maryland, added: “If I’m ready to go, I'm not just going to get to the third round — I can go for a run. I genuinely feel I can beat anybody on any specific day.”
Next for Tiafoe will be a matchup on Tuesday against No. 8 Lorenzo Musetti of Italy or No. 10 Holger Rune of Denmark.
Four American women play in the fourth round Monday: No. 2 Coco Gauff, No. 3 Jessica Pegula, and No. 7 Madison Keys against Hailey Baptiste in an all-U.S. encounter.
Paul, a semifinalist at the Australian Open in 2023, was never really troubled Sunday during his 6-3, 6-3, 6-3 win against 25th-seeded Alexei Popyrin of Australia in less than two hours. Paul is a 28-year-old who grew up in North Carolina and now goes up against No. 2 Carlos Alcaraz of Spain, the defending champion who got past No. 13 Ben Shelton of the U.S. 7-6 (8), 6-3, 4-6, 6-4.
“Obviously,” Paul said about Alcaraz, “the guy can play amazing tennis here.”
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