PARIS (Reuters) – Spanish prospect Carlos Alcaraz reached his first Grand Slam third round when he beat Georgian 28th seed Nikoloz Basilashvili 6-4 6-2 6-4 on Thursday.
With a self-confidence belying his 18 years of age, Alcaraz peppered Court 14 with 27 winners in a one-sided encounter.
World number 97 Alcaraz, the youngest player in the top 100 of the ATP rankings, reached the second round of a major at the Australian Open earlier this year.
Coached by 2003 French Open champion Juan Carlos Ferrero, Alcaraz will be looking to further improve his Grand Slam record when he faces German Jan-Lennard Struff on Saturday.
(Reporting by Julien Pretot; Editing by Andrew Heavens)
