After a championship-match run in 2022, Ivan Dodig and Austin Krajicek are making their mark once again at Roland Garros.

The Croatian-American pairing moved to 8-1 as a team at the clay-court major on Sunday by defeating Francisco Cabral and Rafael Matos 6-7(3), 6-4, 7-5 in the third round. Dodig and Krajicek let slip a 3-0 lead en route to losing the first set but clinched a late break of their opponents’ serve in both the second and third to wrap a two-hour, 59-minute triumph.

The fourth seeds will take on German duo Kevin Krawietz and Tim Puetz in the quarter-finals in Paris, after the German duo moved past Sadio Doumbia and Fabien Reboul 6-4, 7-6(4). Krawietz is a two-time champion at Roland Garros, where he lifted the trophy in 2019 and 2020 alongside Andreas Mies, who was also a third-round winner. Mies and his partner Matwe Middelkoop upset fifth seeds Lloyd Glasspool and Harri Heliovaara 6-4, 6-2 to book a clash against defending champions Marcelo Arevalo and Jean-Julien Rojer.

Marcel Granollers and Horacio Zeballos were the other winning team in Paris on Sunday. The Spanish-Argentine pair ended the run of Marcelo Melo and John Peers with a 6-2, 6-3 win. Granollers and Zeballos are seven-time titlists as a team on the ATP Tour but are chasing their maiden major title this fortnight in the French capital.

Three-time major champion Andy Murray will clash against former World No. 19 Hyeon Chung in a blockbuster first-round match Monday at the ATP Challenger Tour event in Surbiton, Great Britain.

The grass-court contest adds to Murray’s numerous encounters against star players on the Challenger Tour in the last month. At the Challenger 175 event in Aix-en-Provence, Murray ousted Gael Monfils and World No. 17 Tommy Paul en route to his first title at any level since 2019. The former World No. 1 also battled against three-time major champion Stan Wawrinka at the Bordeaux Challenger, where the Swiss earned a straight-sets victory.

The second seed Murray, who received a wild card into the Surbiton Challenger, will meet Chung for the first time. The 27-year-old Chung is competing in just his third tournament since returning from a back injury he suffered in 2020. A semi-finalist at the 2018 Australian Open, Chung suffered a loss in the opening round of both the Seoul and Busan Challengers in April and May, respectively.

A strong field at this week’s Lexus Surbiton Trophy also features World No. 25 Daniel Evans and American Mackenzie McDonald.

Watch Andy Murray vs. Hyeon Chung (Third match on Centre Court Monday)

Stefanos Tsitsipas on Sunday set a blockbuster quarter-final showdown at Roland Garros against Carlos Alcaraz when he breezed past Austrian Sebastian Ofner.

After Alcaraz displayed imperious form earlier in the day against Lorenzo Musetti, Tsitsipas responded with a statement performance of his own, losing serve just once en route to a 7-5, 6-3, 6-0 victory.

Ofner put up resistance early and appeared poised to push his favoured opponent to a first-set tie-break. But when the Austrian missed a forehand wide on set point, Tsitsipas seized the opportunity to surge ahead.

The Greek hit 27 winners to just 12 unforced errors in the one-hour, 48-minute clash. He has not lost a set since the first round against Jiri Vesely.

The fifth seed has reached at least the quarter-finals in three of his past four appearances at the clay-court major. The 24-year-old has played his best tennis at the majors this season, having also advanced to the final of the Australian Open.

Tsitsipas will try to overturn an 0-4 ATP Head2Head record against Alcaraz in the last eight. Just a month and a half ago, the Spaniard defeated the Greek 6-3, 6-4 in the Barcelona final.

Ofner enjoyed the best tournament of his career by reaching the fourth round at a major for the first time. The Austrian was trying to become the first qualifier to make the last eight at Roland Garros since Marcelo Filippini in 1999.

The 27-year-old is up to No. 80 in the Pepperstone ATP Live Rankings. He will crack the world’s Top 100 for the first time the Monday after Roland Garros, when the newest edition of the Pepperstone ATP Rankings is released.

Father and son are reunited.

Former World No. 55 Bryan Shelton announced on Friday he is stepping down from his role as head men’s tennis coach at the University of Florida. Having led a women’s team (Georgia Tech, 2007) and men’s team (Florida, 2021) to national championships, he will embark on a new journey — coaching son Ben Shelton on the ATP Tour.

“The dream team is back together baby‼️” Ben wrote on Instagram. “Can’t wait to have you out on tour with me, and see what we can accomplish together.”

 

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Bryan’s overwhelming feeling at the moment is gratitude. After his professional career, the American has become one of the most respected coaches in college tennis and even coached Ben for two years, during which the Florida Gators won the national championship as a team and Ben captured singles glory.

Now Bryan is thrilled to join his 20-year-old son on the road for his own professional journey.

“Thankful that I have another opportunity that’s really exciting that’s about to get started,” Bryan told ATPTour.com. “I feel like a little bit of a kid again. At this stage in life, to be able to start something new and fresh and exciting is incredible. So I think that those are the things that are probably pouring out of me right now. Just gratitude and excitement.”

According to Bryan, Ben has intimated over the past year since turning professional that he would like to one day have his father by his side.

“I think in his mind, he’s always thought that ultimately, we’d be able to do this together,” Bryan said. “We started together on the court and I think we’ve kind of built that coach-player relationship through the years as we continue to build our own relationship as father-son. And those two kind of went side by side along the way.

“I always said, I had to put one hat on and take the other hat off, and then kind of understanding when to do both is a little bit tricky, because you hear about these stories with mother and daughter, father and son, mother and son, these stories that end up not being great stories. And so, my wife, Lisa, and I, we’ve really tried to have a balance with our kids and understand that they’re people first before they’re players.

“I think that along the way, I’ve put my coach hat on and to be able to do both still and for him to want me to come out there with him and help him in this area and share these experiences together, I think that speaks to the love that we have for one another and also the level of respect that we have for one another.”

Many professional tennis players travel internationally in the juniors. But Shelton did not step outside the United States until the beginning of this season in Adelaide. The lefty also began his clay-court season having never competed on red clay. Ben played football as a kid — he was a quarterback — and did not fully focus on tennis until later on.

“Oh my goodness. That’s probably one of the most exciting parts of Ben. His potential is, in my opinion, limitless, because he hasn’t really scratched the surface,” Bryan said. “I just feel like he’s so many hours shy of someone else his age that’s playing at that level. They’ve logged a lot more hours, they’ve experienced a lot more situations on a lot more surfaces, and they’ve played around the globe for years prior, and he’s having to catch up on those experiences.

“But where he lacks experience, he has just a passion and a desire and a work ethic and some other intangible things that have allowed him to start catching up. But there’s still so much room for growth.”

Ben has been mentored on the road by Dean Goldfine, the former coach of many stars including Aaron Krickstein, Todd Martin, Andy Roddick and Sebastian Korda, whom Bryan expressed a lot of gratitude for. But the former college coach has missed experiencing Ben’s early moments on Tour while home in Florida coaching the Gators.

“That would be 100 per cent of the time,” Bryan said when asked how often he has wished he could have been alongside his son. “I always said I wish I could have perfected that trick where you can be in two places at one time.”

Ben’s biggest breakthrough came earlier this year at the Australian Open, where he advanced to the quarter-finals on his tournament debut.

“You want to be there for those those big firsts in your life and your kids’ lives,” Bryan said. “To miss that one was pretty tough, but just so happy for him and for how he’s handled himself and everything else. So we’re very proud at the same time and to see him be able to do that with the help of others out there with them was very rewarding as well.”

Ben summed up his father’s impact on the world of college tennis.

“This isn’t a career that’s defined by championships and accolades, but by the people impacted and lives changed,” Ben wrote on Instagram. “You showed up to work every day and gave a perfect effort. You did things with character and humility no matter the situation. You’ve kept your faith wherever your life has taken you, and always put your family first. There isn’t a better role model for young men trying to find their way in life.”

The Roland Garros men’s singles draw is down to 16 title hopefuls after three rounds on the Paris clay. The loaded top half of the men’s draw returns to action on Sunday with three of the Top 5 in the Pepperstone ATP Rankings set to compete.

Top seed Carlos Alcaraz meets 17th seed Lorenzo Musetti on Court Philippe-Chatrier following Novak Djokovic’s matchup against Peru’s Juan Pablo Varillas. On Court Suzanne-Lenglen, fifth seed Stefanos Tsitsipas meets Austrian qualifier Sebastian Ofner after 11th seed Karen Khachanov takes on Italy’s Lorenzo Sonego earlier in the day.

ATPTour.com looks ahead at Day 8 by scouting the Sunday schedule in Paris.

[1] Carlos Alcaraz (ESP) vs. [17] Lorenzo Musetti (ITA)

The lone previous ATP Head2Head meeting between these young stars was a memorable one, particularly for Musetti. The Italian upset Alcaraz in the 2022 Hamburg final, recovering from five missed match points in the second set to claim his first ATP Tour title with a 6-4, 6-7(6), 6-4 triumph.

While the pair has not played a competitive match since then, both players have watched each other with great admiration in the 10 months since that final.

“I see a friend. I see that he started a way, a new generation,” Musetti said of Alcaraz. “He [won] the first Grand Slam title [of the younger generation], so I think it’s sort of inspiration for us, for me, Holger [Rune], Jannik [Sinner], and whoever is behind him, and trying to push him away and trying to get closer.

“I think that the match in Hamburg gave me a lot of confidence, especially on this side…. Of course it’s a complete different position, different status, but I think we will enjoy, in this case, our match.”

Alcaraz also expects an enjoyable matchup as he braces for the biggest challenge of his Paris run to date.

“He’s playing great. He has beaten really tough players. He’s a really talented player,” said the Spaniard.

“I remember the match in Hamburg. It was really, really tough. This is a match that I’m really looking for, I really want to play that match. I’m going to enjoy it, because it’s going to be a really fun match. I would say it’s going to be really good rallies, good shots between us, and of course it’s going to be a really fun match to watch, as well.”

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— ATP Tour (@atptour) June 2, 2023

Alcaraz has dropped just one set in reaching the fourth round, including a three-set domination of 26th seed Denis Shapovalov on Friday. It’s a stark contrast to his run through the early rounds last season in Paris, when he needed to save a match point to defeat Albert Ramos-Vinolas in the second round. A win on Sunday would see the 20-year-old match his best Roland Garros result by returning to the quarter-finals for the second straight year.

Musetti is also into the Roland Garros fourth round for the second time. The last time he reached that stage, he gave Novak Djokovic a scare by taking a two-set lead behind a pair of tie-break wins. But he faded physically after that and ultimately retired late in the fifth set after the Serbian wrestled away control of the match.

Once again facing a World No. 1 on the Paris clay, the 21-year-old will be ready to go the distance. After playing some of the best tennis of any player this fortnight in a 6-1, 6-2, 6-4 win against 14th seed Cameron Norrie, Musetti will hope to take the initiative against Alcaraz in a matchup of two electric all-court talents.

[3] Novak Djokovic (SER) vs. Juan Pablo Varillas (PER)

Varillas won three five-setters to make history for Peru, becoming the first man from the nation to reach the Roland Garros fourth round since 1994. After knocking of 19th seed Roberto Bautista Agut and 13th seed Hubert Hurkacz in his past two matches, the 27-year-old’s task will be even tougher on Sunday against Djokovic.

The Serbian, champion at Roland Garros in 2016 and 2021, has not dropped a set this fortnight but played two marathon sets against 29th seed Alejandro Davidovich Fokina in a 7-6(4), 7-6(5), 6-2 third-round win. 

“I don’t remember when I played last time three hours [for] two sets. Maybe against Nadal in one of our matches,” Djokovic reflected. “This was looking like if I lost one of the first two sets, it was looking like it was going to go four, five hours.”

Instead, the Serbian managed to get off the court in three hours, 36 minutes — though he did receive treatment to loosen up his upper leg following the third set.

Djokovic, who has won four tie-breaks across his three victories, downplayed any injury concerns after the match. Instead, his focus is on improving for the second week, a skill he has mastered in winning his joint-record 22 Grand Slam singles titles.

“I’m very self-critical, so I know that I can always do better and I can always play better. But I also try to remind myself, as also the people in my team try to remind me daily, that there are a lot of positives, that I have to try to stay optimistic and look ahead and be in the moment, try to make the most out of it,” he said. “I’m happy with where I am at the moment with my game. Can it be better? Certainly.”

[5] Stefanos Tsitsipas (GRE) vs. [Q] Sebastian Ofner (AUT)

Tsitsipas has yet to face a seeded player this fortnight, but he called his 6-2, 6-2, 6-3 third-round win against Diego Schwartzman his most difficult outing so far due to the Argentine’s solid play from the baseline.

After beating the former Roland Garros semi-finalist, he will now meet Ofner, who is through to the fourth round at a major for the first time. Incredibly, Ofner did not own a tour-level win this season until his run on the terre battue. But after a successful season on the ATP Challenger Tour, the Austrian entered Paris at a career-high of World No. 118 and has since rocketed up the Pepperstone ATP Live Rankings to No. 80 behind his three victories.

Tsitsipas watched some of Ofner’s five-set win against Fabio Fognini and will not be taking the surprise opponent lightly on Sunday.

“I know that clay court suits him well. He can play well on this surface,” said the Greek. “He has had good results in the past on clay courts. He might not be the guy who you see very often in Masters 1000 tournaments and 500s in terms of going deep and playing and beating top guys, but I’m sure he’s on a good streak right now, he’s feeling good with his tennis… I’m going to approach it with seriousness and professionalism.”

If both Tsitsipas and Alcaraz advance, they will set up a quarter-final showdown — with Djokovic potentially awaiting in the semis.

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— ATP Tour (@atptour) June 2, 2023

[11] Karen Khachanov vs. Lorenzo Sonego (ITA)

Khachanov and Sonego will contest their fourth ATP Head2Head meeting and their first since 2019. Both men have advanced to the fourth round with wins of three, four and five sets. Sonego’s five-setter came in an upset of seventh seed Andrey Rublev in the third round, during which the Italian stormed back from two sets down to claim a 5-7, 0-6, 6-3, 7-6(5), 6-3 result. He also knocked off 30th seed Ben Shelton in the opening round.

The 11th-seeded Khachanov went five against Frenchman Constant Lestienne in the opening round and won a four-setter against Thanasi Kokkinakis in the third round. The 27-year-old is two wins away from his third consecutive major semi-final after reaching that stage at the US Open and Australian Open. He is also seeking his second Roland Garros quarter-final (2019).

Doubles Action

Sunday will also see four men’s doubles matches as teams bid for quarter-final berths. Fifth seeds Harri Heliovaara and Lloyd Glasspool meet 12th seeds Andreas Mies and Matwe Middelkoop in the lone seed vs. seed match on the day, while fourth seeds Austin Krajicek and Ivan Dodig meet Francisco Cabral and Rafael Matos.

On Court Simonne-Mathieu, two-time Roland Garros champions Kevin Krawietz and Tim Puetz meet Frenchmen Fabien Reboul and Sadio Doumbia, after 10th seeds Horacio Zeballos and Marcel Granollers face John Peers and Marcelo Melo.