Honest Alcaraz concedes point before advancing

Carlos Alcaraz called connected himself for breaking the rules astatine the French Open and conceded a constituent to Ben Shelton connected Sunday during the defending champion's 7-6 (8), 6-3, 4-6, 6-4 triumph successful the 4th round.

Also connected Sunday, No. 12 Tommy Paul bushed No. 25 Alexei Popyrin 6-3, 6-3, 6-3 to go the archetypal American antheral successful the quarterfinals astatine Roland Garros since Andre Agassi successful 2003. The 28-year-old Paul was coming disconnected consecutive five-setters but breezed to this triumph to acceptable up a matchup with Alcaraz.

Early successful the 2nd set, Shelton whipped a passing changeable good retired of Alcaraz's scope up astatine the net. So Alcaraz flung his racket, and arsenic his instrumentality flipped done the air, its strings someway not lone made interaction with the shot but besides sent it backmost implicit the nett and onto the different broadside of the court.

Initially, the second-seeded Alcaraz was awarded the point. But helium instantly went implicit to the seat umpire to admit that helium wasn't holding his racket erstwhile it touched the ball. That's not allowed, truthful the constituent went to the 13th-seeded Shelton.

When the authoritative informed the Court Philippe-Chatrier assemblage what had happened, Alcaraz was fixed a circular of applause.

This each happened astatine what could person been a captious moment, due to the fact that alternatively of starring 40-30 connected his serve, Alcaraz was present down 30-40, giving Shelton his archetypal interruption constituent of the match. But Alcaraz saved that 1 -- and 5 others successful that 20-point crippled -- on the mode to taking a two-set pb successful an entertaining matchup betwixt a brace of 22-year-olds who deed the shot hard.

"Today I fought against myself, successful my mind," Alcaraz said. "I tried to calm myself arsenic I was mad, aggravated and talking not truly bully things. I'm truly blessed not to fto those thoughts play against me. I tried to calm myself and support going."

Shelton, doubly a semifinalist astatine majors, delivered serves astatine up to 143 mph and forehands astatine up to 116 mph. Alcaraz, already a four-time Grand Slam champion, showed disconnected assorted parts of his repertoire.

It was tighter than the people mightiness indicate: Shelton held 3 opportunities to ain the opening set, starring successful the tiebreaker astatine 6-4, 6-5 and 7-6. But Alcaraz saved the archetypal with a work winner. Shelton netted a backhand connected the next. And the past ended with Shelton smacking a backhand close astatine the assemblage of Alcaraz, who was up astatine the nett and contorted himself to chop a driblet volley winner.

Alcaraz past converted his 2nd acceptable point, closing a 15-stroke speech with a down-the-line forehand that drew a mistake from Shelton.

The 3rd acceptable went to Shelton erstwhile Alcaraz enactment a forehand into the net, and the big-swinging American punched the air, past his chest, and screamed: "Let's go, baby! Come on!"

The 4th swung Alcaraz's mode erstwhile helium utilized a driblet changeable victor to acceptable up a interruption constituent that helium claimed for a 2-1 borderline and, aft 3 hours, 19 minutes, helium was capable to decorativeness disconnected an 11th consecutive triumph astatine Roland Garros.

"We some person immense respect for each other," Alcaraz said. "Every clip we look each other, we bring a precocious level and play bully tennis. He's a truly almighty subordinate and tin marque immoderate shot. ... He's an unbelievable player."

Along with his uncommon French Open tally for an American, Paul besides became the lone progressive U.S. subordinate to scope the past 8 connected each 3 surfaces aft his 2023 Australian Open semifinal and 2024 Wimbledon quarterfinal runs.

"I americium precise blessed to get a straight-sets win. I person been playing immoderate precise agelong matches, truthful that felt truly good," Paul, who spent astir 11 hours connected tribunal successful his erstwhile 3 rounds, said successful a postmatch interview. "Shorter matches similar this assistance a lot."

Paul recovered himself a interruption down aft the archetypal crippled earlier instantly breaking consecutive backmost to close his aboriginal setback.

Popyrin, a erstwhile inferior champion successful Paris similar Paul, had not mislaid a acceptable successful his tally to the 4th circular but recovered himself a acceptable down erstwhile helium was breached again, with Paul's superior question and objective shot-making handing him the archetypal set.

The Australian, perpetually turning to his container to explicit his frustration, was intelligibly rattled with Paul attacking astatine each accidental and with Popyrin's 2nd service proving a weakness.

He was breached again astatine the commencement of the 2nd acceptable with Paul adding different interruption to onshore the acceptable earlier going 3-0 up successful the 3rd and finishing disconnected his 25th-seeded hostile successful little than 2 hours.

The Associated Press and Reuters contributed to this report.