Carlos Alcaraz using 'pressure as motivation', Spaniard storms through to French Open quarter-finals
- Sean Fisher
- 30 May 2022
Carlos Alcaraz continued his unbeatable form this season with a straight set victory over Karen Khachanov in the fourth round of the French Open.
Carlos Alcaraz continues to go from strength to strength, with the 19-year-old Spaniard adding another victory to his record on Sunday afternoon.
Alcaraz was pitted against Russia's Karen Khachanov in the fourth round of the French Open, but the talented teenager passed the test with flying colours after recording a 6-1 6-4 6-4 victory over the 26-year-old.
Adopting an aggressive game plan, Alcaraz raced to the net and produced some masterful shots, and Khachanov simply had no answer for his energetic opponent, who cruised to victory in just two hours and 14 minutes.
Khachanov looked impressive in his previous win against British No.1 Cameron Norrie, but Sunday's match was frankly a one-sided affair, setting Alcaraz up with a more testing tie against world No.3 Alexander Zverev in the quarter-finals.
Welcome to the @alcarazcarlos03 show 🤯#RolandGarros pic.twitter.com/fVbODNenSl
— Roland-Garros (@rolandgarros) May 25, 2022
After wrapping up the win at the Court Philippe-Chatrier, Alcaraz said "It was a great match, I 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."
When questioned on his aggressive gameplan, he replied "I 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."
OH MY. 😲@alcarazcarlos03 I #RolandGarros pic.twitter.com/v4gsyl4QE4
— Roland-Garros (@rolandgarros) May 29, 2022
After winning both the Madrid and Barcelona Open in recent weeks, Alcaraz can look to add another title to his rapidly-growing trophy cabinet.
But if he is to get his hands on a career-first Grand Slam trophy, he'll have to see off Zverev, who put on an impressive show against Spain's Bernabe Zapata Miralles on Sunday.
The pair are scheduled to take to the court during Tuesday's action, although a start time is yet to be announced.
