Dominant Swiatek wins third straight French Open title
Iga Swiatek achieves the rare feat of a third successive French Open title after a comprehensive win over Jasmine Paolini.
Iga Swiatek achieves the rare feat of a third successive French Open title after a comprehensive win over Jasmine Paolini.
Last season, one of the most highly anticipated matches of the year was the Roland Garros semi-final clash between Carlos Alcaraz and Novak Djokovic. The Spaniard battled to take the second set and level the clash, but cramp prevented him from providing much resistance the rest of the way.
The 21-year-old said after defeating Jannik Sinner in a thrilling five-set semi-final Friday that he again suffered from cramp. But this time, the No. 3 player in the PIF ATP Rankings rallied from two sets to one down to reach his first final at the clay-court major.
“The cramps in this match, it wasn’t as much here as last year. But, yeah, I’m going to say I’m stronger mentally. I knew how to deal with these situations,” Alcaraz said. “I knew that the cramps are going to [go] away if I stay there. I know everything what I have to do [in] the situation.
“But the cramping, I knew that I had to stay there. I knew that probably I had to make shorter the points. So I knew much better how to do it this year than last year.”
With his victory, Alcaraz became the youngest player to reach a major final on clay, hard and grass. He has already lifted the trophy on hard at the US Open and grass at Wimbledon.
“It’s something great. Breaking new records for me is great, great success for me,” Alcaraz said. “Honestly, before the final it’s something that I really don’t want to think about it, but obviously that means that, as I said, I’m playing good tennis on every surface. That is something that I really wanted to do when I started on the Tour.
“So it’s a great feeling, but right now, I don’t want to think about it.”
Alcaraz revealed that it is unlikely fans will see him spending too much time on the practice court tomorrow if he spends any time there at all.
“Tomorrow I’m going to walk around. I mean, I don’t know if I’m going to go to the court. I have to just be with my team and discuss about tomorrow,” Alcaraz said. “If I’m going to practise, if I’m not going to step here in the club. I’m probably go to somewhere just to have a walk. I don’t know.
“I remember in the US Open final or [at the] US Open, the last three rounds I didn’t practise the day before, so I just walked around and all that stuff, so probably I’m going to do the same.”
[ATP APP]The Spanish star will physically and mentally prepare for his championship match on Sunday against Alexander Zverev. Alcaraz is three sets away from claiming his third major trophy.
“I have a special feeling [with] this tournament, because I remember when I finished school I [would be] running to my home just to put the TV on and watch the matches here in the French Open,” Alcaraz recalled. “I watched a lot of matches. Of course Rafa Nadal dominating this tournament for, let’s say, 14, 15 years. It’s something unbelievable.
“I wanted to put my name on that list of the Spanish players who won this tournament. Not only Rafa. Ferrero, Moya, Costa, a lot of Spanish players, legends from our sport that won this tournament, I really want to put my name on that list, as well.”
[NEWSLETTER FORM]After a disappointing loss to Alexander Zverev in the Roland Garros semi-finals, during which he was impaired by a stomach ailment, Casper Ruud explained that the issue began hindering him in the first set.
“It was a little bit unfortunate. I started well. Towards the middle, end of the first set, I started feeling some discomfort, an ache in my stomach. So I wasn’t able to keep the intensity and the energy level up. It was something that was bothering me, just kind of limiting me,” Ruud said. “It was a pity. It’s not something I think is very serious or going to last for a long time, but something that came up in the first set.”
Ruud did not delve into the details of exactly what was wrong, but he rued that it struck on such a pivotal day. He was trying to reach his third Roland Garros final.
“I don’t have the answers now, but I just [am] disappointed that it had to be today. Why couldn’t it be yesterday or day before when I had three days off?” Ruud wondered. “So it was a bit unlucky. I was really looking forward to the match. In a way I started well, but yeah, I wasn’t able to keep it up, unfortunately.”
The good news for the 25-year-old is that despite the ailment, he advanced to at least the semi-finals of the clay-court major for the third consecutive year (two finals) and leaves Paris in third in the PIF ATP Live Race To Turin. Carlos Alcaraz could bump the Norwegian to fourth place by lifting the trophy on Sunday.
“I’m very pleased with how the season has been so far. In my game I’ve tried to make a few adjustments and improvements, and I think that they’ve come along pretty well,” Ruud said. “Still, there’s a long way to go where I feel like I’m 100 per cent satisfied, and I think that’s a good thing. I don’t feel like I’m complete yet as a player, very far from it. So I still have a lot of things to work on.
“But the season has been great, I would say, to sum it up. This result here in Paris is, in my eyes, a great result, and it was unfortunate and a pity today that it ended this way. But I consider it, let’s say, the first half of the year very good, and I’m looking forward to having some time off.”
[ATP APP]Ruud said that he will “probably watch the final” and that he believes it will be an “open one” between Alcaraz and Zverev. The Norwegian will then turn his attention to the grass-court season.
“I think it’s a very fun surface, and I have been joking a little bit about certain things before, but I think it’s a very fun surface to play on because it brings something completely different,” Ruud said. “It challenges me in a way that I think is good for my game in a way to be challenged.
“I’m really looking forward to Wimbledon. But yeah, next week I don’t think I will watch much tennis.”
[NEWSLETTER FORM]Iga Swiatek takes on Jasmine Paolini in the final of the French Open as she bids for a fifth Grand Slam title.
Alexander Zverev reached his maiden Roland Garros final on Friday in his fourth semi-final attempt. The German moved past two-time finalist Casper Ruud 2-6, 6-2, 6-4, 6-2.
Zverev lost in the last four at the clay-court major in 2021, 2022 and 2023, falling to Ruud in straight sets at this stage last year. However, the 27-year-old ensured history did not repeat itself under the lights on Court Philippe-Chatrier, where he recovered from a slow start to dispatch the Norwegian.
“I am extremely happy,” Zverev said. “I have so much history on this court and had some of the best memories and worst memories on this court. I am so happy to be in the final finally on my fourth semi-final. I am going to give it my all on Sunday.”
The two sides of the sport.#ThisIsTennis pic.twitter.com/pg14nrDBTs
— ATP Tour (@atptour) June 7, 2024
Zverev acted as a brick wall at times against Ruud to force the seventh seed to hit an extra shot. The fourth seed also took large cuts off both wings to rush Ruud, who received treatment for a stomach issue in the third set.
Ruud was bent over on the baseline at times between points and looked like he was physically struggling during the changeovers in the third and fourth set. Zverev now holds a 3-2 Lexus ATP Head2Head series advantage against Ruud following his two-hour, 36-minute win.
“I thought the first two sets were very high level. End of third set I saw he started to move a bit slower. That is normally how it is when you are not feeling quite well,” Zverev said. “But his shots are still the same. So if you look at how he moves and all that and if you start to be a bit more passive, he is going to win the match. Credit to him to play until the end and fight until the end. He is a great champion and a great person.”
[ATP APP]The No. 4 player in the PIF ATP Rankings is chasing his first major title and will play Carlos Alcaraz in Sunday’s final. Zverev’s only previous major final came at the US Open in 2020, when he lost to Dominic Thiem in five sets.
With his 34th tour-level win of the season, Zverev became the second German man to reach the Roland Garros title match in the Open Era, joining Michael Stich (1996). The 27-year-old has won his past 12 matches, having lifted his sixth ATP Masters 1000 crown in Rome last month.
He has been made to work hard in France, beating Tallon Griekspoor and Holger Rune in consecutive five-set matches. The two-time Nitto ATP Finals champion also eliminated record 14-time champ Rafael Nadal in the first round.
Ruud was aiming to become just the seventh player to reach his third consecutive Roland Garros final. The World No. 7 has earned the most tour-level wins (39) and clay wins (21) in 2024.
“Casper is too good of a player to be waiting and not to play your game,” Zverev said. “I did that last year and lost very easily. I knew I had to be much more aggressive and take it on to him and I did and I am pleased the balls went in today.”
[NEWSLETTER FORM]The Lexus ATP Head2Head rivalry between Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner has blossomed into one of the most gripping rivalries in recent memory.
Possessing thunderous groundstrokes and incredible agility, the Spaniard and the Italian have frequently clashed on the biggest stages and are poised to do so plenty in the next decade. It is a rivalry which brings the best out of the Top 3 PIF ATP Rankings stars.
ATPTour.com looks at each match in the pair’s Lexus ATP Head2Head rivalry, in which Alcaraz took a 5-4 lead following his win in the 2024 Roland Garros semi-finals.
[ATP APP]Roland Garros 2024, SF, Alcaraz d. Sinner 2-6, 6-3, 3-6, 6-4, 6-3
Both stars entered the Roland Garros semi-finals keen to reach their first final at the clay-court major. Alcaraz and Sinner had each entered the tournament with an injury concern, but found their form and worked their way to the last four.
Sinner came flying out of the gates, surging to a set-and-a-break advantage. But as the Italian began to make more unforced errors, Alcaraz raised his level to flip the momentum of the match.
The Italian suffered from cramp in his hand and arm early in the third set, but managed to dig deep to take a two-sets-to-one advantage. From there, Alcaraz again turned the match around and his ability to maneouvre himself into winning positions in rallies proved the difference.
The Spaniard hit 65 winners compared to 39 for Sinner, and rallied to reach the final after four hours and nine minutes.
While it was a disappointing loss for Sinner, the 22-year-old was already guaranteed to climb to No. 1 in the PIF ATP Rankings for the first time on the Monday after the tournament.
BNP Paribas Open 2024, SF, Alcaraz d. Sinner 1-6, 6-3, 6-2
Sinner entered his semi-final clash against Alcaraz at the BNP Paribas in March unbeaten on the season. The Italian was a perfect 16-0 on the year, having won his maiden major title at the Australian Open in January.
Sinner had played flawlessly through the first three months of the season and entered the match as slight favourite with Alcaraz stepping onto court 11-3 on the year. The 22-year-old’s favourite tag seemed justified after the opening set, with Sinner cruising into a 6-1 lead. Sinner produced the perfect start, hitting six winners to Alcaraz’s one, according to Infosys ATP Stats.
However, Alcaraz did not surrender. The Spaniard fought through the opening game of set two and earned a crucial hold to stem the tide. He eliminated the early errors that plagued him in the opening set and began to find his footing in long rallies, finding greater variety to level. The 21-year-old continued to mix up his tactics in the final set and lost just three points on serve in a one-sided decider. By moving back to “Medvedev territory” on return, he hurt Sinner with big cuts to begin the point and often began the rallies on the front foot.
After two hours and five minutes, Alcaraz sealed victory on his third match point to end Sinner’s unbeaten start to the season. With his win, Alcaraz advanced to his his sixth ATP Masters 1000 final (4-1), denying Sinner his fourth at the time (1-2). It was Alcaraz’s first tour-level final since he lost to Novak Djokovic in the previous August in a Cincinnati epic; he had been 0-4 in semi-finals since that defeat.
“I stayed strong mentally,” said Alcaraz, who pointed to his head after the win. “I think that’s a really important part in this game. You have to be strong mentally if you want to overcome these kind of matches, a set down against someone that’s playing an unbelievable game. I’m really happy with the things that I’ve done after that.
“I changed my style a little bit, I changed my game a little bit and I think it worked very well. I’m really happy to beat Jannik and be in the final again.”
Alcaraz then faced Medvedev in the final, cruising to a straight sets win to clinch his fifth Masters 1000 title.
<img src=”/-/media/images/news/2024/03/09/04/26/alcaraz-indian-wells-2024-friday.jpg” style=”width:100%;” alt=”Carlos Alcaraz” />
Photo Credit: Getty Images
China Open 2023, SF, Sinner d. Alcaraz 7-6(4), 6-1
After Alcaraz won 7-4 tie-breaks to open each of their previous two matches, Sinner claimed the opening-set tie-break by the same scoreline at the China Open.
In a marathon opening frame, Sinner twice came back from a break down. He began to take control by moving Alcaraz around the baseline and winning all 15 of his net points in the set.
After navigating a tense opening to the second set, fighting off five break points across his first two service games, Sinner sprinted through the finish line.
“For sure in the very top [of the big matches I’ve played],” the Italian said of the win. “I would say every match against him is very tough. We always show great respect, we both play great. When we play against each other, we try to stay on our limits.”
Sinner followed up the victory by beating Medvedev in the Beijing final to claim his fourth tour-level title of the season, equalling his personal-best tally from 2021.
Miami Open presented by Itau, SF, Sinner d. Alcaraz 6-7(4), 6-4, 6-2
Two weeks after their Indian Wells showdown, Sinner gained swift revenge with a comeback victory at the Miami Open presented by Itau. In a show-stopping semi-final, Sinner won one of the points of the year: an action-packed 25-ball rally that ended with a delicate, dipping passing shot to bring the crowd to its feet.
Despite that moment of magic — and early leads in all three sets — Sinner was on the ropes when he faced two break points at 3-4 in the second. But the Italian answered the bell with a match-changing surge, winning 19 of 21 points to take the set and build a 2-0 lead in the decider.
Alcaraz appeared to be struggling physically early in set three, but he willed his way to one final push. In the end, his 22 winners were not enough to overcome 28 off the racquet of his opponent.
“It means a lot. We both played a very, very high level of tennis again. I just tried my best,” Sinner said after advancing to his second Miami final. “We both tried to play very aggressive tennis and today it went my way so I’m very happy.”
Sinner was beaten by Daniil Medvedev in the Miami final but went on to win his first ATP Masters 1000 title later in the season in Toronto.
BNP Paribas Open 2023, SF, Alcaraz d. Sinner 7-6(4), 6-3
Alcaraz captured his third ATP Masters 1000 crown at the BNP Paribas Open in 2023, returning to No. 1 in the PIF ATP Rankings following his triumph. The Spaniard did not drop a set en route to the title, but was pushed the hardest by Sinner in the pair’s semi-final clash in Indian Wells.
In another entertaining battle, the bulk of the drama came in a back-and-forth opening set as Sinner took full advantage of a dip in level from his opponent to turn a 2-4 deficit into a 5-4 lead, winning 11 straight points in the process. Sinner kept the pressure on to create a set point at 6-5, but a uniquely Alcaraz combination — big serve, drop shot, volley winner — erased the chance and ensured the set would be decided in a tie-break.
Encouraged by his escape, the Spaniard powered through the tie-break and carried his momentum into set two, when he consolidated an early break with a point-of-the-season contender, planting a topspin lob on the baseline after a Sinner dipper forced him to retreat from the net. He later wriggled out of 0/30 to hold for 5-2, and served out the match with ease behind a pair of punishing forehand winners.
“I’m really happy to get through this great match. Jannik obviously is a really great player with great shots,” Alcaraz said. “I would say we’re going to have a great rivalry over the years. We are playing in the best tournaments in the world. It’s not over here. We are going to play a lot of great matches.”
US Open 2022, QF, Alcaraz d. Sinner 6-3, 6-7(7), 6-7(0), 7-5, 6-3
In one of the matches of the 2022 season, Alcaraz and Sinner battled late into the New York night. Across five hours and 15 minutes of twists and turns, the only constant was elite tennis and tireless effort from both men. Alcaraz and Sinner took turns lighting up Arthur Ashe Stadium, flashing their tremendous athleticism and power in equal measures.
Sinner dominated the third-set tie-break to take a two-sets-to-one lead and carried his momentum into the fourth set as he scored an instant break. But the fearless Alcaraz erased a match point with Sinner serving at 5-4 and went on a run of four straight games to force a fifth set. Again trailing by a break, the Spaniard repeated that feat by winning four games in a row in the fifth set to claim victory at 2:50 a.m.
“Honestly, I still don’t know how I did it,” Alcaraz said. “You have to believe in yourself. I believed in my game. It was really difficult to close out the match. I tried to stay calm, but it is difficult in the moment.
“The energy I received in this court at 3 a.m., it was unbelievable. Probably in other tournaments, everybody [would go] to their house to rest. But they [stayed] in the court, supporting me. It was unbelievable.”
Alcaraz went on to claim his first major title at Flushing Meadows and by doing so he became the youngest World No. 1 in the history of the PIF ATP Rankings.
Wimbledon 2022, Fourth Round, Sinner d. Alcaraz 6-1, 6-4, 6-7(8), 6-3
Just hours after Wimbledon looked back to celebrate the 100th anniversary of Centre Court, Sinner and Alcaraz provided a glimpse of the future with their first Grand Slam meeting in the fourth round.
In the first Centre Court match for both, Sinner overwhelmed Alcaraz with his pure ball-striking and had two match points to wrap up a straight-sets win before Alcaraz found his rhythm to take the third-set tie-break. After converting on his fourth set point, the Spaniard raised his racquet, soaking in the crowd’s roar.
As the match grew more physical, Sinner stemmed the tide with two battling holds to open the fourth set, then scored the decisive break to edge ever closer to his third major quarter-final. After missing out on three further match points on return at 5-3, Sinner saved a break point as he served out one of the most entertaining matches of the fortnight. A forehand winner — Sinner’s 35th of the match — completed the victory after three hours and 35 minutes.
“Carlos is a very tough opponent and a very nice person, so it is always a huge pleasure for me to play against him,” said Sinner, who would fall to Novak Djokovic in five sets in the quarter-finals.
<img src=”/-/media/images/news/2022/07/03/19/12/sinner-wimbledon-2022-sunday-fist-pump.jpg” alt=”Jannik Sinner” style=”width: 100%;” />
Photo Credit: Adrian Dennis/Getty Images
Despite his obvious disappointment, Jannik Sinner is taking the positives out of his Roland Garros run, which ended at the hands of friend and rival Carlos Alcaraz at the semi-final stage on Friday.
The 22-year-old Italian led the Spaniard by two sets to one before he eventually fell in five sets in a match that lasted four hours and 10 minutes.
“I think it was a great match. For sure the sets he won he played better in the important points. I think that was the key. Obviously disappointed how it ended, but it’s part of my growing and the process,” Sinner said. “Thinking back before the tournament reaching this point, I’m obviously very happy.
“In the other way, I’m disappointed about the match today. Now I’m just to keep looking forward to improve, to try to do my best I can and then we see what I can do in the future here in this tournament. If we watch the positive side, I have improved from last year.”
Sinner, who will rise to No. 1 in the PIF ATP Rankings for the first time on Monday, was competing in the semi-finals at Roland Garros for the first time. The Australian Open champion dropped just one set en route to the semi-finals before he lost to Alcaraz, who improved to 5-4 in the pair’s Lexus ATP Head2Head series.
Their rivalry is one of the most exciting on Tour, with their clash on Friday one of the most anticipated matches of the year. Sinner is excited for more heavyweight clashes with Alcaraz in the future.
“If we watch the results, we always or most likely play against [each other] in the semis or final or quarters, [in] very important matches. I think that’s exciting for the game, especially when head-to-head is quite close,” Sinner said. “And the winner is happy and then the loser tries to find a way to beat him the next time. I think that’s exciting. That’s what I will try to do.
“I think we study each other very well. You can see a little bit of tension sometimes of both players and both sides just because we know each other slowly a little bit better. Each time when we play against [each other] we expect a couple of things and then to mix up the plan, you make different choices sometimes on the court. I think next time obviously is going to be different.”
[ATP APP]Sinner entered Roland Garros having missed Rome due to a hip injury. The 13-time tour-level titlist looked comfortable through his opening five matches but suffered with cramp during the third set against Alcaraz.
“For sure, some tension. Tension and after cramp a little bit,” Sinner said of his on-court issues. “I handled these situations a little bit better now. I had previous years these kind of moments where I couldn’t handle them. If we watch that, I handled them a little bit better. It was quite early in the match. We didn’t play so much, so I was not worried about my body. Was keeping up quite well.”
Sinner leaves Paris holding a 33-3 record on the season. He is next scheduled to play at the ATP 500 grass-court event in Halle, which begins a week from Monday.
[NEWSLETTER FORM]Carlos Alcaraz moves a step closer to a maiden French Open title by beating incoming world number one Jannik Sinner in an engrossing semi-final.
Carlos Alcaraz advanced to his first Roland Garros final on Friday when he defeated Italian Jannik Sinner 2-6, 6-3, 3-6, 6-4, 6-3 in a Paris semi-final thriller.
In one of the most anticipated matches of the year, both players struggled to find their best level in the opening two sets. With the match all square at one set all, Alcaraz looked to gain control when Sinner suffered with hand cramp at 2-2 in the third set. The Italian regularly shook out his hand between points and although his service speed dropped in the game, he saved four break points to survive on serve before he received treatment at 3-2.
Sinner came out firing on the resumption to break Alcaraz immediately and held firm on serve to move ahead. Alcaraz refused to surrender in the fourth, though, with both players striking the ball with clean and effortless timing. With little to separate them, the World No. 3 Alcaraz found more quality and intensity in his play at the end of the fourth set to win it and force a decider.
The 21-year-old then produced moments of magic in an absorbing fifth set, breaking Sinner’s serve early with a fierce forehand winner. Alcaraz put his foot down from that moment and refused to let Sinner back in, sealing a mammoth victory on his third match point after four hours and 10 minutes. Alcaraz, who struck 65 winners to Sinner’s 39, raised his arms in the air and embraced the roar from the crowd after sealing his win.
“You have to find the joy suffering,” Alcaraz said after his win against Sinner, who won two more points than the Spaniard in the match (147-145). “That is the key, even more here on clay at Roland Garros. Long rallies, four-hour matches, five sets. You have to fight, you have to suffer but as I told my team, you have to enjoy suffering.”
ALCARAZ INTO THE FINAL 🔥@carlosalcaraz defeats Sinner 2-6 6-3 3-6 6-4 6-3 to become the youngest player to reach a Grand Slam final on all three surfaces!@rolandgarros | #RolandGarros pic.twitter.com/KYnuWw5fz3
— ATP Tour (@atptour) June 7, 2024
With his third Top 5 win of the season, Alcaraz improved to 5-4 against Sinner in the pair’s ever-developing Lexus ATP Head2Head series.
“The toughest matches that I have played in my short career have been against Jannik,” Alcaraz said. “The US Open in 2022, this one. Jannik is a great player. The team he has as well and the great work he puts in every day and I hope to play him many, many more matches like this against him. One of the toughest matches that I have played for sure.”
Alcaraz will aim to win his third major title and improve to 3-0 in Grand Slam finals when he faces Casper Ruud or Alexander Zverev in Sunday’s championship match. The 2021 Next Gen ATP Finals presented by PIF victor won the US Open in 2022 and lifted the Wimbledon trophy in 2023.
The 21-year-old is the youngest player to advance to a major final on all three surfaces and the second-youngest Roland Garros men’s singles finalist since 2000. Rafael Nadal reached the title match in 2005, 2006 and 2007 aged 19-21.
Alcaraz missed Rome last month due to a right forearm injury but has been comfortable on the Parisian clay. The Spaniard, who sunk Stefanos Tsitsipas in straight sets in the quarter-finals, has dropped just three sets in the French capital.
Sinner was competing in his first semi-final at the clay-court major and was trying to reach his second major final. The 22-year-old, who won the Australian Open in January, will rise to No. 1 in the PIF ATP Rankings for the first time on Monday and leaves Paris holding a 33-3 record on the season.
[ATP APP]Sinner raced out of the blocks against Alcaraz, breaking the 21-year-old’s serve in the opening game to gain an immediate foothold. The Italian swung freely and showed little sign of nerves throughout the first set in contrast to Alcaraz, who struggled to find his range in the early stages. Alcaraz did eventually get on the board in the fifth game, but it was too little too late in the set, with Sinner remaining relentless from the baseline to lead. Sinner committed nine unforced errors in the set compared to 12 from Alcaraz.
Alcaraz raised his performance in the second set to force his way back into the clash. The 13-time tour-level titlist capitalised on Sinner’s lack of depth to open up the court, playing aggressive, front-foot tennis to shift momentum. The Spaniard had a spring in his step after breaking back at the start of the set and bounced back to his chair after sealing the second set on his first set point. Sinner committed 12 unforced errors in the set and hit just three winners to allow Alcaraz a foothold in the clash.
With momentum going his way, Alcaraz then broke Sinner’s serve early in the third set to take control, but the Italian responded by winning three games on the spin. The 22-year-old broke back for 2-2 before he fended off four break points on his serve to move 3-2 ahead. He received treatment for cramp at 3-2 and then took further control when he produced a moment of magic on return, hitting a backhand winner crosscourt on break point to lead 4-2. Sinner closed out the set on serve to move to within a set of his first Roland Garros final.
<img src=”/-/media/images/news/2024/06/07/17/35/sinner-roland-garros-2024-sf-treatment.jpg” style=”width:100%;” alt=”Jannik Sinner receives treatment during his Roland Garros semi-final against Carlos Alcaraz.” />
Photo Credit: Peter Staples/ATP Tour
In a high-quality fourth set, both players hammered the ball from the baseline. The Italian and Spaniard went blow for blow with their thunderous groundstrokes and at 4-4, there was little to divide them. With a raucous crowd enjoying every minute, it was Alcaraz who found the decisive breakthrough, teeing off when he could to force a fifth set.
Alcaraz continued to play at a high intensity in the fifth set against Sinner, who started to tire. The Spaniard raced 3-0 ahead and hit 15 winners in the set, according to Infosys Stats, to improve to 10-1 in fifth sets at majors.
“I saw him struggling a little bit in the [third set], but I was cramping as well in the third set,” Alcaraz said. “I learned from last year’s match against Djokovic and was in the same position today. But I learned you have to be calm, to keep going because the cramp is going to go away. You have to fight. The third set was a little bit weird but the fourth set and fifth set were great points. [We played] great tennis and I am really happy with everything that I have done today, waiting for my moments.”
Did You Know?
Sinner, 22, vs. Alcaraz, 21, was the youngest major semi-final since Andy Murray, 21, defeated Nadal, 22, at the US Open in 2008.
Marcelo Arevalo and Mate Pavic are one win from earning their first major title as a team.
The ninth seeds eliminated top seeds Marcel Granollers and Horacio Zeballos 3-6, 6-4, 7-5 on Friday in two hours to reach the Roland Garros final.
[ATP APP]Granollers and Zeballos won the pair’s two Lexus ATP Head2Head meetings earlier this year without dropping a set. But Arevalo and Pavic rallied from a set down to make their fourth final of the season. They have won titles in Hong Kong and Geneva, and also reached the Rome final.
Granollers and Zeballos only won 62 per cent of their first-serve points, compared to 79 per cent for Arevalo and Pavic according to Infosys Stats. The ninth seeds broke serve twice in the third set to move on to the championship match, in which they will play 11th seeds Simone Bolelli and Andrea Vavassori.
Arevalo and Pavic have won 13 of their past 14 matches. They defeated Bolelli and Vavassori in the Rome semi-finals and the Monte-Carlo quarter-finals without losing a set in either clash.
[NEWSLETTER FORM]