Roland-Garros: “At the start of the match, I felt invincible” – Superb Alcaraz dispatches spirited Cobolli

World No. 1 Carlos Alcaraz began his Roland-Garros campaign in fine style, coming through in straight sets 6-0 6-2 7-5 against Italian qualifier Flavio Cobolli to move into the second round.

The Spaniard began the match in typically blistering form, racing into a two set lead through a dazzling flurry of power, precision and deft drop shots, often leaving his opponent stranded well behind the baseline.

However, as a warm late-May afternoon turned into evening on Court Suzanne Lenglen, a spirited fightback from the little-known Italian qualifier provided the perfect entertainment for an enthralled Parisian crowd.

Cobolli impresses the Roland-Garros crowd

Cobolli, as his back was against the wall with Alcaraz serving for the match, found his form just in time to make things interesting, breaking the Spaniard in the tenth game of the final set to extend the contest.

While there was always a feeling of inevitability to proceedings at this stage of the match, Cobolli’s demonstrable talent ensure that Alcaraz was tested enough for the third set to be back in contention.

However, having broken with some sublime flashes of high-octane tennis, the young Italian was helpless to fend off an Alcaraz keen to ensure the match ended in three.

The world No. 1 hit straight back, breaking Cobolli in the next game before serving out the match in the twelfth game of the third.

Cobolli has had an eye-catching run in Paris this year. Only 21 years old, the Italian came through three rounds of qualifying before his loss to Alcaraz. His has announced himself as a name to keep an eye out for in the near future.

Scintillating Carlos Alcaraz

For Alcaraz meanwhile, despite hitting a total of 26 winners, his sky-high standards will tell him there is small room for improvement against tougher opposition to come, as his unforced error count reached 30.

Extraordinarily, though, the Spaniard won 90% of net points he played, demonstrating once again his supreme ability in the forecourt.

Alcaraz was also able to generate a huge 18 break points, of which he converted 7.

“I felt I couldn’t lose a game. You know, I thought that I was able to win easier than I did, but, you know, a match can turn around in each game. But, yeah, at the start of the match, I felt invincible”, Alcaraz said in his post-match press conference.

Last year, Alcaraz arrived in Paris to similar fanfare, having taken the titles in Madrid and Barcelona just as he has this year.

The difference in 2023 is that he is the world No. 1 and a Grand Slam champion. Given this, there was some talk pre-tournament of a the weight of expectation on the young Spaniard’s shoulders perhaps being a mitigating factor in his title credentials.

If those were ever legitimate worries, they have been comprehensively dispelled with what was a truly breathtaking performance.

Or, as Alcaraz put it, “Yeah, I do think it’s the best feeling in the world to be No. 1, to know that I reached my dream really, really quick. Yeah, that’s all (smiling).”

He will face Japanese player Taro Daniel next, as he continues his bid for a second Grand Slam title.

Paris (Grand Slam), other first-round results (Stade Roland-Garros, clay, EUR 49.600.000, most recent results first):

• Gael Monfils vs. Sebastian Baez
• Timofey Skatov vs. Grigor Dimitrov
• Michael Mmoh vs. Taylor Fritz
• Richard Gasquet vs. Arthur Rinderknech
• Quentin Halys vs. Guido Pella
• Emil Ruusuvuori vs. Gregoire Barrere
• Thiago Monteiro vs. Yannick Hanfmann
• Francisco Cerundolo vs. Jaume Munar
• Holger Rune vs. Christopher Eubanks
• Thiago Seyboth Wild vs. Daniil Medvedev
• Hugo Gaston vs. Alex Molcan
• Alexander Zverev vs. Lloyd Harris
• Alexander Bublik vs. Giulio Zeppieri
• Max Purcell vs. Jordan Thompson
• Yoshihito Nishioka vs. J.J. Wolf
• Elias Ymer vs. Casper Ruud
• Nicolas Jarry vs. Hugo Dellien
• Tommy Paul vs. Dominic Stricker
• Andrea Vavassori vs. Miomir Kecmanovic
• Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard vs. Genaro Alberto Olivieri
• Jannik Sinner vs. Alexandre Muller
• Luca Van Assche vs. Marco Cecchinato: monday
• Zhizhen Zhang beat Dusan Lajovic: 6-1, 4-1 ret.
• Filip Krajinovic vs. Frances Tiafoe: monday
• Daniel Altmaier vs. Marc-Andrea Huesler: monday
• Jiri Lehecka vs. Jan-Lennard Struff: monday
• Arthur Fils vs. Alejandro Davidovich Fokina: monday
• Marcos Giron beat Hamad Medjedovic (Q): 6-0, 6-2, 1-6, 6-0
• Pedro Cachin beat Dominic Thiem: 6-3, 6-2, 6-7 (1), 4-6, 6-2
• Borna Coric (15) beat Federico Coria: 7-6 (3), 6-7 (5), 6-3, 6-3
• Thiago Agustin Tirante beat Botic van de Zandschulp (25): 6-2, 4-6, 6-3, 6-4
• Novak Djokovic (3) beat Aleksandar Kovacevic: 6-3, 6-2, 7-6 (1)
• Taro Daniel beat Christopher O’Connell: 6-0, 6-2, 6-4
• Stan Wawrinka beat Albert Ramos-Vinolas: 7-6 (5), 6-4, 6-7 (2), 1-6, 6-4
• Fabio Fognini beat Felix Auger-Aliassime (10): 6-4, 6-4, 6-3
• Roberto Bautista Agut (19) beat Yibing Wu: 7-6 (4), 6-1, 6-1
• Aslan Karatsev (Q) beat Alexei Popyrin: 6-3, 6-7 (4), 6-1, 6-2
• Tomas Martin Etcheverry beat Jack Draper: 6-4, 1-0 ret.
• Alex De Minaur (18) beat Ilya Ivashka: 6-1, 5-7, 6-1, 6-3
• Juan Pablo Varillas beat Juncheng Shang (Q): 4-6, 2-6, 6-2, 6-3, 6-1
• Diego Schwartzman beat Bernabe Zapata Miralles (32): 1-6, 6-7 (5), 6-2, 6-0, 6-4
• Cameron Norrie (14) beat Benoit Paire (WC): 7-5, 4-6, 3-6, 6-1, 6-4
• Denis Shapovalov (26) beat Brandon Nakashima: 6-4, 7-5, 4-6, 3-6, 6-3
• Lucas Pouille (Q) beat Jurij Rodionov (LL): 6-2, 6-4, 6-3
• Ugo Humbert beat Adrian Mannarino: 6-3, 6-3, 6-1
• Alexander Shevchenko beat Oscar Otte: 7-5, 4-6, 6-1, 7-6 (2)
• Lorenzo Sonego beat Ben Shelton (30): 6-4, 3-6, 6-3, 6-3
• Andrey Rublev (7) beat Laslo Djere: 6-1, 3-6, 6-3, 6-4
• Corentin Moutet beat Arthur Cazaux (WC): 6-1, 6-3, 4-6, 6-4
• Lorenzo Musetti (17) beat Mikael Ymer: 7-5, 6-2, 6-4
• Roberto Carballes Baena beat Emilio Nava (Q): 7-6 (5), 6-3, 6-2
• Matteo Arnaldi beat Daniel Elahi Galan: 2-6, 6-3, 6-0, 6-2
• Sebastian Korda (24) beat Mackenzie McDonald: 6-4, 7-5, 6-4
• Nuno Borges beat John Isner: 6-4, 5-7, 7-6 (3), 4-6, 7-6 (9)
• Jason Kubler beat Facundo Diaz Acosta (LL): 1-6, 6-3, 6-4, 3-6, 6-1
• Stefanos Tsitsipas (5) beat Jiri Vesely: 7-5, 6-3, 4-6, 7-6 (7)
• Marton Fucsovics beat Hugo Grenier (WC): 6-3, 5-7, 6-1, 6-3
• Thanasi Kokkinakis (WC) beat Daniel Evans (20): 6-4, 6-4, 6-4
• Radu Albot (Q) beat Patrick Kypson (WC): 6-3, 6-2, 4-6, 6-1
• Karen Khachanov (11) beat Constant Lestienne: 3-6, 1-6, 6-2, 6-1, 6-3
• Hubert Hurkacz (13) beat David Goffin: 6-3, 5-7, 6-4, 2-6, 6-4
• Tallon Griekspoor beat Pedro Martinez (Q): 6-4, 2-6, 0-6, 7-5, 6-3
• Sebastian Ofner (Q) beat Maxime Cressy: 6-4, 7-6 (6), 6-2