World No. 6 Carlos Alcaraz was glad with the performance he delivered versus Russia’s Karen Khachanov in the French Open last-16 as he noted that being aggressive and staying focused was the key for him.
Alcaraz, who is hoping to win his maiden Grand Slam at Roland Garros, handed Khachanov a 6-1 6-4 6-4 loss to reach his first French Open quarterfinal.
Alcaraz came out firing as he took a commanding 5-0 lead, before serving out for the first set in the seventh game.
After winning the first set, Alcaraz earned the lone break of the second set in the seventh game and served out for a two-set lead in the 10th game.
In the third set, Alcaraz blew an early break but broke Khachanov again in the seventh game.
Alcaraz missed out on five match points in the ninth game but routinely served out for the match in the 10th game.
āIt was a great match,ā Alcaraz said in the Eurosport Cube. āI had to stay focused from the beginning to the end. I started aggressive, dominated the match and tried to keep my level through the match.ā
Alcaraz: Pressure is motivating to me
āI am a player who likes the drop shots and volleys. My style is to be aggressive, so I try to go to the net as many times as I can. I like the people talking about you, knowing you. It is pressure, but I try to get that pressure as motivation. I like to play in the biggest stadiums in front of a lot of people,” Alcaraz added.
Alcaraz is having a great 2022 as he has two Masters titles this year and he is a top-10 player.
Alcaraz’s goal for the rest of 2022 is to win a Grand Slam and potentially reach the top spot.
Alcaraz plays Alexander Zverev in the French Open quarterfinal.
Earlier this month, Alcaraz dominated Zverev 6-3 6-1 when they clashed in the Madrid final.
It remains to be seen if Alcaraz can clinch his second win over Zverev this month.