Paris is the Corner of Victory

Alejandro Davidovich got into the quarterfinals of a Grand Slam for the first time thanks to his hard-fought victory against Federico Delbonis by 6-4, 6-4, 4-6 and 6-4 in 2:56. “I have given it my all, I have enjoyed every moment that I have worked hard for. Many emotions go through my mind, I am very happy. “Thank you, God,” he said still on the track. And it was not easy to beat the 30-year-old Argentine and 51st in the world, who is living a second youth and who until this Thursday shared the leadership of victories on land (19) with Stefanos Tsitsipas (the Greek already has 20).

Davidovich, 2017 junior Wimbledon champion and AS Promise Award winner that same year, feels right at home at Roland Garros. His spectacular style has permeated the French public, who reads the beginning of his second surname. “Let’s go, Foki” (“Let’s go, Foki”), they sing to him as if they were his countrymen from the Rincón de la Victoria. His team enjoys it and he also sang at the end of the game, when the spectators had already left due to the curfew that prevails in Paris from 9:00 p.m. Until then, Alex had shown his entire repertoire of virtues, with those magnificent running strokes that he executes aided by his rabid youth (he turned 22 years old on Saturday) and that glorious little hand he has for the dropouts. He almost doubled Delbonis (42-28) in winning shots and made him go up a lot and also miss a lot at the net (21/40).

Azul’s player gave everything to close the gap in the third set and had options to force the fifth with a break advantage in the fourth. But Davidovich recovered that difference and broke to go 4-3 and serve. He did not give up the advantage until an uncertain and complicated end in which he raised a 0-40 with faith and courage. To celebrate, he put his head on Suzanne Lenglen’s soil. On Tuesday he will play in the Philippe Chatrier.

Results, table and calendar.