Paris – Dealing with Carlos Alcaraz at the French Open is hard enough for any player. There’s no chance when you’re not at your absolute best against the defending champion, like in the case of Tommy Paul in the quarterfinals on Tuesday night.
No. 2 Seed Alcaraz returned to the Roland Garros semi-finals for the third year in a row, winning 6-0, 6-1, 6-4 with poles 6-0, 6-1, 6-4.
“I feel better, do you know?” said Paul, who had problems with leg and abdominal muscles during the tournament. “Obviously, I got into the game like, ‘I want to win the game.’ However, it was clear that I hadn’t made any surprising moves quite early in the match. ”
It didn’t help his cause that Alkaraz was in his best condition.
“Today was one of those days that felt good. I feel like every shot will be in. Every shot will be the winner,” Alcaraz said. “You play with confidence. You’re not afraid of anything.”
It took Alcaraz only 52 minutes to collect the first two sets. The 22-year-old Spaniard put together an edge of 23-5 with the winner in that range, with the final total being 40-13.
“He played some great tennis. He went back very well. He always stepped onto his back. He played very quickly,” Paul said. “Even the switch made him feel like he was up with 20 seconds left. I was like, ‘You had to slow down.’ ”
Things were more competitive in the third set. Paul led 4-3 as some audience members on Philip Chatelier’s court recited his name. But Alcaraz grabbed the next three games and put things together a little over an hour and a half.
“In a Grand Slam, the less time you spend on the court, the better it’s to save energy for your next match,” said Alcaraz, who is looking for his fifth major trophy. “You can’t seek better performance.”
He is the first incumbent men’s champion in Paris, since France’s Open Champion Rafael Nadal in 2021, and to return to the semi-finals the following year.
He improved to 20-1 with Red Clay this season, leading the men’s tour with 35 wins and three titles.
Alcaraz’s opponent in the semi-finals is No. 8 Lorenzomsetti, who eliminated No. 15 Francisti in the fourth set on Tuesday. The final two men’s quarterfinals are Wednesday: No. 1 Jannik Sinner vs. Unseeded Alexander Bublik, No. 3Alexander Zverev vs. 24-time major champion Novak Jjokovic.
Wearing a chain around his neck with a pendant reading “Big Four” in capital letters, Tear Four missed all eight first serves in the first service game, sending a big backhand, giving Mumetti a 2-0 lead. Tearfoe saw coach David Witt and complained about the wind.
“He didn’t start the way he wanted, but playing well today was really complicated,” Musetti said. “It was very windy and we couldn’t hit it properly.”
At the end of the match, Musetti had more 44-33 winners, far fewer unforced errors and fewer 51-32.
Still, when two US open semi-finalist tierfoe hit a forehand in matches, even in the set, he roared and cried out, “Let’s go! Let’s go!”
During that set, Musetti was warned of sportsman-like behavior for accidentally kicking a tennis ball that hit a lineperson. Unlike most top-level tennis tournaments that rely on electronic line calls, Roland Garros’ courtrooms still have humans in order to determine if the shot will land.
The points of the match took place in the sixth game of the third set.
Musetti extended the wide width of the doubles alley near the net, reaching the shot at a seemingly impossible angle. Tiafoe did the same accordingly, sending near the baseline. Musetti ran, twisted his body against the net, then on a half swing he somehow bounced the low ball’s back. But it worked, and the tearfoe – perhaps surprised to see the points not finished – netted a nasty shoulder-high volley.
That set swayed Musetti’s way when he broke in the final game. In a 12-stroke exchange, Tiafoe tried a wise and unattacked drop shot. Now it was his turn to blow the air and scream.
He was 13-4 in his French open career, and three of these losses came against opponents ranked No. 1 – Novak Jjokovic, Alcaraz was one.
Paul, semi-finalist at the 2023 Australian Open, and two-time semi-finalist at the US Open, Tiafour were the first Americans to reach an eight-round round at Roland Garros since Andrea Gassi in 2003, and the first pair since Jim Courier and Pete Sampras in 1996.
Since Agassi won the French Open and completed his career grand slam in 1999, the US men have gone 1-60 against top-10 opponents in the clay court tournament.
The Associated Press contributed to this story.
