The stage is set here in the quarter-finals of the 2023 French Open, as only eight ATP stars are left to compete for the prestigious Grand Slam.
Top seeds Carlos Alcaraz and Novak Djokovic remain the hot favourites to win, according to the SBOTOP French Open 2023 odds, and they’re likely to face off in the next round if they continue to take care of business.
Alcaraz is set to take on Stefanos Tsitsipas tomorrow, while Djokovic will duel with Karen Khachanov later today. On the other hand, Holger Rune is going to meet Casper Ruud, while Alexander Zverev will be tasked with trying to end Tomas Martin Etcheverry’s amazing run so far at Roland Garros.
For more French Open 2023 updates, continue reading below.
Alcaraz plan to stay unbeaten against Tsitsipas
Alcaraz rose to fame in 2021 when he defeated Stefanos Tsitsipas in a five-set thriller during the US Open. Since then, the Spaniard has become the top-seeded player in the ATP and has never looked back.
Along the way, Alcaraz defeated Tsitsipas three more times, including a straight-sets victory almost two months ago in the Barcelona Open final. So when it was revealed at the Roland Garros draw that they might be in for a potential rematch, both of them were excited.
“The clash we’ve all been waiting for. I think everyone was expecting it, weren’t they? And it’s here. It’s game on,” said Tsitsipas in a presser after beating Sebastian Ofner in the fourth round.
“We played great matches, and I won every match that we have played,” said Alcaraz. “But it doesn’t mean that I’m going to win every match that we are going to play. He’s a really tough opponent.”
During their first meeting at the 2021 US Open, Tsitsipas remarked that he had never seen someone hit the ball with such power as Alcaraz. The Spaniard has always been at his best when he’s playing on the front foot.
The hope for Tsitsipas is that this will play into his hands this time because the Greek’s best results have come when he’s able to grab points from defencive positions, notching 35-per cent in his victories so far this year, compared to 28-per cent in his losses when he was in the said position.
Djokovic keen to assert dominance over Khachanov
Djokovic’s bid to win his 23rd career Grand Slam continues against Karen Khachanov, who is currently the 11th-seeded player in the ATP rankings.
The Serb has an 8-1 edge in his head-to-heads against the Russian, including a seven-match win streak. Khachanov’s only victory against Djokovic came in the 2018 Paris Masters final.
So far in this tournament, Djokovic has had an easier path than Khachanov, as the Serb notched all four of his victories in straight sets, while his Russian counterpart only had one such result.
Khachanov is clearly the underdog against Djokovic, but the 11th-seeded player is not fazed, as he’s determined to put an end to his seven-match losing skid against the Serb.
“He’s one of the toughest opponents, and you cannot count him out. I have ultimate respect for him, but I’m focused and I’m pumped to do well, so let’s see if I can make it or not this time,” said Khachanov.
Prior to tonight, Khachanov’s best Grand Slam runs were when he made it as far as the semi-finals of the 2022 US Open and this year’s Australian Open. Let’s see if he can pull off the upset to make it three in a row.
Etcheverry having the time of his life
Tomas Martin Etcheverry is through to the quarter-finals for the first time at a major. He’s the last Argentine player standing in the tournament following the exit of his compatriot, Francisco Cerundolo, who lost in an epic five-set clash against Holger Rune.
Etcheverry received a walkover when Jack Draper withdrew in the first round, and then he downed Alex de Minaur, Borna Coric, and Yoshihito Nishioka in the next couple of rounds. This is going to be the first time that he’ll meet Alexander Zverev, who made short work of Grigor Dimitrov in the fourth round.
The 23-year-old Argentine international is having a great campaign this year. The 49th-seeded ATP player had won only one Grand Slam match prior to Roland Garros at the Australian Open last January.
He has yet to drop a set in four rounds, which is quite impressive. However, Zverev is favoured to end his run because of the gulf in experience at the Grand Slams between them.
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