Rising star Alcaraz dazzles to reach last 16 in Paris

PARIS :Carlos Alcaraz's meteoric rise continued on Friday when the Spanish prodigy produced yet another awe-inspiring performance to outplay American Sebastian Korda 6-4 6-4 6-2 and reach the last 16 of the French Open for the first time.

Facing the only man to beat him on clay this year, the sixth-seeded teenager, who saved a match point in the second round, showed his full range on a packed court Philippe Chatrier - mixing powerful forehands with gravity-defying drop shots.

The 27th-seeded Korda threw everything at his opponent, only for the ball to come back quicker and with more power and the American faded in the third after a high-octane fight in the first two sets.

Alcaraz, who now has an 18-1 win-loss record on the red dirt this season after winning titles in Barcelona and Madrid, will next face 21st-seeded Russian Karen Khachanov before a potential quarter-final clash against third seed Alexander Zverev.

"It's amazing to play in front of such a great crowd in this atmosphere on a night session," the 19-year-old Alcaraz, who stunned the crowd with some serve and volleying, said.

"I'm having fun, I love playing tennis on such great courts, I love playing in France. Serve and volley is a weapon that I have so I use it."

Should the stars align for Alcaraz, he could eventually take on either world number one and defending champion Novak Djokovic or 13-time Roland Garros winner Rafael Nadal in the last four.

"If I am winning, I just play against one of them. I think I'm ready. It's different to play against them," he said.

"I mean in the Masters 1000 or another tournament it's best-of-three and in Grand Slam it's best-of-five, but I would say I'm ready."

Alcaraz got off to a brilliant start and had a couple of double break