17th seed Pablo Carreno Busta scored a mild upset over 10th seed and countryman Roberto Bautista Agut in the third round of the French Open with a 6-4, 6-3, 5-7, 6-4 victory in three hours, 24 minutes.

Carreno Busta broke late in each of the first two sets to take a commanding lead before Bautista Agut halved the deficit and went ahead by a break in the fourth set only to watch his compatriot close strong by winning the last four games.

Carreno Busta records gritty victory over Bautista Agut to reach second week in Paris

The two combatants traded breaks early in the first set with Bautista Agut emerging with a 2-1 lead. Carreno Busta then saved a pair of break chances to make it 3-3 before striking the decisive blow, a crosscourt backhand winner to break and go in front 5-4.

Serving for the set, Carreno Busta arrived at 40-30 and closed it out with an ace out wide to take a one-set lead. Another backhand winner gave the 17th seed a break to begin the second set and he was serving solidly, cruising along, and eventually building a 5-3 lead.

He arrived at double set point on Bautista Agut's serve and after overhitting a forehand on the first, the 17th seed blistered a backhand on the second which got no reply and Carreno Busta held a two-set lead.

Carreno Busta was doing damage with his backhand all day long/Photo: Julian Finney/Getty Images
Carreno Busta was doing damage with his backhand all day long/Photo: Julian Finney/Getty Images

Bautista Agut was quick off the mark in the third set, Carreno Busta committing consecutive unforced errors to give the 10th seed a 2-1 lead. In the eighth game, Carreno Busta broke on his third chance in the eighth game with a forehand into the corner for to level the set at 4-4.

A whip-like backhand gave Bautista Agut a 6-5 lead and he closed out the set a game later with a big serve to cut the deficit in half. He broke in the fifth game of the fourth set with an excellent forehand and seemed to be on course to level the match leading 4-2.

Bautista Agut let a fourth set lead slip away that could have forced a decisive set/Photo: Julian Finney/Getty Images
Bautista Agut let a fourth set lead slip away that could have forced a decisive set/Photo: Julian Finney/Getty Images

Carreno Busta finished with a flourish, winning the final four games and on match point at 5-4, 0-40,  he peppered a forehand that Bautista Agut couldn't get back, closing out a tough victory that propels him to his eighth win in his last nine major matches.

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