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Carlos Alcaraz will face Sebastian Korda in the third round of the French Open. Korda, ranked 30th in the world, defeated Frenchman Richard Gasquet in straight sets, setting up this clash, the third head-to-head matchup against Alcaraz in his career. After saving match points in the fourth set, sixth-ranked Alcaraz erased a deficit in the first game of the fifth set and defeated Albert Ramos-Vinolas in the second round 6-1, 6-7 (7), 7-5, 6-7 (2) to advance.
"Welcome to the @alcarazcarlos03 show" - @ Roland-Garros
In their previous matchup, Miami Open champion Alcaraz suffered his third loss of the year in a match that lasted a little more than three hours, as both players battled in Monaco. The 21-year-old Korda stormed out to a 4-2 lead in the first set and eventually beat the Spaniard in a tiebreak. The American would go on to win 7-6 (2), 6-7 (5), 6-3. Korda is the only player this season to defeat Alcaraz on clay, with this win in Monaco just last month.
The win saw Korda level the head-to-head record against rising star Carlos Alcaraz at 1-1, having lost the final to the 19-year-old at last year's Next Generation ATP Finals back in November 2021. Prior to Monte Carlo, Sebastian Korda served for the match in three of his five losses to date in 2022, including a heartbreaking defeat to Rafael Nadal at Indian Wells.
Alcaraz's last loss this year was to Korda, with the Spaniard going on to claim four titles, including the Barcelona Open and, most recently, the Madrid Open.
"What a sweet backhand down the line by @SebiKorda!" - @ ATP Tour
Alcaraz also won titles in Rio de Janeiro, where he defeated Diego Schwartzman in the final 6-4, 6-2, and in Miami, where he defeated Casper Ruud 7-5, 6-4.
Carlos Alcaraz vs. Sebastian Korda Match Details
Fixture: Carlos Alcaraz (6) vs. Sebastian Korda (27)
Date & Time: Friday, May 27, 2:45 p.m. EDT
Venue: Paris, France
Carlos Alcaraz vs. Sebastian Korda Betting Odds
Carlos Alcaraz vs. Sebastian Korda Betting Prediction
Alcaraz narrowly escaped defeat against Albert Ramos-Vinolas in the previous round, and he'll have to be sharper out of the gate on Friday. The sixth-seeded Spaniard has made it to the quarterfinals in every tournament this year except for two, however, so he is still the stronger player on paper.
Korda did get the best of Alcaraz in the Monte Carlo Masters on clay, so it won't be an easy matchup by any means for the 19-year-old Spaniard. Expect Alcaraz to advance to another quarterfinal with another close contest on Friday.
Prediction: Sebastian Korda +2.5 Sets (-155) & Over 34.5 Games (-120)
