Dan Evans gave Carlos Alcaraz a real test in a terrific clash at the Shanghai Masters before the top seed booked his spot in round four.
The British number two led by a break in each set but the Wimbledon champion fought back to win 7-6 (1) 6-4 after two hours and 27 minutes.
This was a fourth meeting between the pair, with Alcaraz having won the previous three, although Evans claimed his first set against the Spaniard in another entertaining contest at the US Open last month.
A first set that lasted an hour and 27 minutes saw Evans withstand immense pressure in a contest of incredible rallies before finally succumbing in a tie-break.
Evans led 4-1 but converted his only opportunity, while Alcaraz could take only one of his 13 break points, with his opponent saving six of them in a fifth game that lasted nearly 20 minutes.
Alcaraz fought back to make it 4-4 and dominated the tie-break but Evans did not allow his head to drop and came out strongly in the second set.
A break for 2-1 was immediately pegged back by Alcaraz, who found a second break of the Evans serve when he needed it most to claim victory on his second match point.
“It was one of the toughest matches I’ve played so far outside of the grand slams,” Alcaraz said on Amazon Prime Video. “Every time I face Daniel it’s a tricky match.
“I think both of us played a high quality of tennis. I’m really happy to get through.”
Elsewhere, fifth seed Andrey Rublev breezed to a 6-3 6-0 win over Adrian Mannarino but a delighted Diego Schwartzman upset seventh seed Taylor Fritz 6-4 3-6 7-6 (5), while Grigor Dimitrov, who next faces Alcaraz, and Tommy Paul are also through to round four.
Ruud doubles up to win Geneva Open
Casper Ruud played twice on Saturday to win the Geneva Open, as he heads into Roland-Garros in fine form.
With his semi-final against Flavio Cobolli having been postponed on Friday due to rain, Ruud returned to the court to seal a 1-6 6-1 7-6 (7-4) victory.
The Norwegian was swiftly back in action in Switzerland, taking on Tomas Machac, who stunned Novak Djokovic on Friday, in the final.
And the world number seven made light work of Mahac, winning 7-5 6-3 to become the first three-time champion at the Geneva Open, which he also won in 2021 and 2022.
Data Debrief: Clay court specialist
Ruud has now claimed an 11th ATP event title on clay since the start of the 2020 season.
He is the only player to win 10+ titles over that span on the surface, with Carlos Alcaraz (seven) the next best.
Nadal refuses to rule out Roland-Garros return
Rafael Nadal refused to rule out returning to Roland-Garros in the future, suggesting this French Open may not be his last after all.
Nadal is widely anticipated to retire after the 2024 season, meaning this year's French Open would be his final appearance at a major he has won a record 14 times.
The Spaniard has been handed a tough draw, with Nadal going up against Alexander Zverev in the first round.
However, ahead of that tie, Nadal told reporters this may not in fact be his last showing at Roland-Garros.
"If I have to tell you it's 100 per cent my last Roland Garros, sorry but I will not, because I cannot predict what's going on. I hope you understand," Nadal said.
"I don't want to close 100 per cent the door, because it's a very simple thing.
"First, I'm enjoying playing tennis, more or less healthy and playing without limitation.
"Maybe in one month and a half I'll say 'OK, it's enough, I can't keep going'. But today I cannot guarantee that it's going to be the last one."
Nadal has endured an injury-hit few seasons, but after playing in Barcelona, Madrid and Rome, feels he is getting closer to true fitness.
"I'm feeling better. That's the truth," Nadal added, appearing more cheerful than he has in recent months.
"Probably because we did things to try to feel better and we have been working without a stop to keep going with the process, to try to arrive here in a proper way."
Nadal's tally of 112 matches won at the French Open is more than any other player has managed when it comes to match wins at a single major, seven ahead of Roger Federer's tally of 105 at Wimbledon.
He expects a tough test against Zverev, though a potentially good omen is that he is the only player with over 10 wins against top-five opponents at Roland-Garros since the ATP Rankings were published in 1974, with 20 such victories.
"It's a super-tough first round. Maybe I go there and I repeat the disaster of Rome. It's a possibility. I don't want to hide that," Nadal said.
"But in my mind is something different, play much better and give myself a chance to be competitive. I didn't play against this level of opponent in a super-long time.
"The rest of the things are just talking and talking, and in the end don't matter. It's about my feelings and my feelings are better. I want to enjoy that match."
Alcaraz 'a little bit scared' by ongoing arm problem ahead of French Open bow
Carlos Alcaraz says he is feeling better ahead of the French Open, but still has concerns about ongoing issues with his right forearm.
The world number three reached the semi-finals at Roland Garros 12 months ago, losing out to eventual champion Novak Djokovic, but his preparations have been far from ideal this time around.
Alcaraz has been dogged by an injury to his right forearm during the clay-court season, which forced him to withdraw from Barcelona and Rome, while his fitness struggles were evident in his Madrid Open quarter-final defeat by Andrey Rublev.
The Spaniard admits he may have to adapt his game plan against J.J. Wolf in the opening round, but he was optimistic on media day in the French capital.
"I'm feeling better," he smiled. "At least I can practise and hit balls without pain. That's a really good point for me. I came here to this tournament with not as many matches as I wanted, but I'm focusing on practice.
"I'm not feeling any pain when I step on the court in practice, but I'm still thinking about it when I am hitting forehands. I'm a little bit scared about hitting every forehand 100 per cent, so I have to change it in my first match.
"It's Roland Garros, and it's a really special tournament. Everybody wants to have good results here. This tournament is one of the main reasons that I'm practising every day. I want to be a better player, to be able to win these kinds of tournaments.
"I'm practising well. I'm getting in rhythm. I'm getting confidence [from] the practice and that is really important, and I think I don't need too many matches to get to my 100 per cent level."
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