Sawt Falasteen - Zverev tips Alcaraz to 'be in final' of French Open but is ready for battle

Third seed Zverev, who lost to Alcaraz in last year's title match in Roland Garros, booked his ticket to the last 16 with a three-set win over Italian Flavio Cobolli.

The three-time Grand Slam runner-up won through 6-2, 7-6 (7/4), 6-1 in two hours 30 minutes, and next plays 35th-ranked Dutch player Tallon Griekspoor.

"I honestly think that Carlos will be in the final, to be very fair," said Zverev.

Second seed Alcaraz won 6-1, 6-3, 4-6, 6-4 against 69th-ranked Bosnian Damir Dzumhur in his third round match on Friday to keep his title defence on course.

Four-time Grand Slam champion Alcaraz arrived as the favourite at Roland Garros after securing the Monte Carlo Masters and Italian Open trophies in the build-up to the clay-court major.

But his fluctuating performances in the past two rounds have given his rivals reason to believe he is vulnerable.

"I don't think there is anybody that, in that side of the draw, will challenge him too much, I think," continued Zverev.

"I think he's the favourite, of course, before coming into the tournament. I mean, I think everybody kind of realised that.

"But I think all the people that can challenge him, all the contenders, I would say, outside of him are all in the top half of the draw.

"I think we will have to really battle it out and I think he will enjoy watching it."

Zverev is in the same half of the draw as world number one Jannik Sinner and three-time French Open champion Novak Djokovic, who is bidding for a record 25th Grand Slam.

As for his next opponent Griekspoor, Zverev joked: "I play him almost every week."

The 28-year-old German leads 7-2 in their previous meetings including both matches on clay.

"He's the guy that I played the most in the last two years. I enjoy playing him. It's always fun, weird matches.

"You know, most of the time high level. Some of the times, just crazy things happening.

"But I'm going to get ready. I'm going to prepare myself for a battle again, and yeah, if I continue playing the way I'm playing, I have confidence in my game."

Griekspoor battled past American Ethan Quinn 4-6, 6-1, 6-7 (2/7), 6-1, 6-4 in three hours 16 minutes to reach the fourth round in Paris for the first time.

Zverev has reached at least the semi-finals on each of his last four appearances at Roland Garros.

"He (Cobolli) probably should have won the second set, but I kept fighting and then I had a bit of a mental advantage and it went my way."

U.Shaheen--SF-PST