Carlos Alcaraz had to grind his way with the hopes of scoring an impressive win, and he did so against one of the best opponents available in Ben Shelton, leading to a four-set clash that needed three hours and 19 minutes to finish in what has been a showdown to remember in one of the toughest surfaces to play in tennis.

Fans flocked to the Court Philippe-Chatrier as the showdown went underway, and it cannot be denied that it was the spectacle of the day as it featured two of the hottest players in the Tour. Both players immediately came firing when it mattered most despite the beating Parisian sun bearing down on them.

Eventually, only one player came out on top, and it was Alcaraz who sustained the fire for the whole clash and went on to advance in the end, showing his impressive prowess and how he has been able to adapt, improvise, and overcome each of his opponents so far.

A Battle to Remember

In a showdown that has seen superb shot-making, elite-level net play, and high-quality performances from two stars, Alcaraz has been no stranger to adversity as he faced Shelton, who has been a high-level performer in the game as well. The Spanish star went on to tell the tale and won 7-6(8), 6-3, 4-6, 6-4 to earn his shot at the quarterfinal of the Roland Garros.

"Today I fought against myself, against the mind," Alcaraz said of his massive victory against Shelton, which was his toughest matchup so far. "I just tried to calm myself. In some moments I was mad, I was angry with myself. Talking not really good things but I am really happy to not let those thoughts play against me. I tried to calm myself down and I tried to keep going. That is what I tried."

As the defending champion of the French Open, all eyes are on Alcaraz now more than ever. The Spanish star is chasing his fifth major in a fortnight and third clay-court title in the season as he went on to win in Monte-Carlo and Rome – two Masters 1000 events. Alcaraz missed out on a chance to score all three clay Masters events after he opted out of the Madrid Open due to an injury.

The odds still favor Alcaraz to win in his big game tomorrow against another American star in Tommy Paul. If you want to make the most of your wagers, now is the time to consult our Gamble AI for the best parlays you can make in this showdown.

A Historic Pace for Alcaraz

The world no. 2 is definitely not slowing down in the game, and he is defying all the odds stacked against him to the point that it already looks like he’s flipping the script. He is certainly riding on a winning pace, and is set to become the third man in this century to defend his Roland Garros title successfully.

Only Rafael Nadal (10 times) and Gustavo Kuerten (2001) have managed to achieve such a feat in the history of the ATP Tour, which says a lot about Alcaraz’s dominant stretch in the game.

At the age of 22, Alcaraz is definitely gearing up for a bigger campaign for the rest of the year. One way he could guarantee a winning pace is to cap off the clay run with a victory at the top of the Roland Garros stage once more.