Carlos Alcaraz to Face Novak Djokovic in French Open Semifinal Clash
Carlos Alcaraz, the Spanish world number one, secured his spot in the French Open semifinals after a commanding victory over Stefanos Tsitsipas with a score of 6-2, 6-1, 7-6 (7/5) on Tuesday. At just 20 years old, Alcaraz becomes the youngest men’s semifinalist at the French Open since Djokovic in 2007, having now defeated Tsitsipas in all five of their previous encounters.
In the upcoming semifinal, Alcaraz will go head-to-head with Djokovic for the second time in his career. Their first meeting resulted in a three-set victory for Alcaraz over the 22-time Grand Slam champion in Madrid last year.
Speaking about the highly anticipated match against Djokovic, Alcaraz expressed his excitement, stating, “This match everyone wants to watch, and I would say it is going to be a good match to play and watch as well. If you want to be the best, you have to beat the best, and Novak Djokovic is one of the best in the world at the moment.”
In the quarterfinal match, Alcaraz quickly gained control with two breaks, showcasing his impressive mix of delicate drop shots and powerful groundstrokes. Tsitsipas struggled to keep up, ultimately surrendering the second set with a double fault.
Although Alcaraz faced some resistance from Tsitsipas in the third set, he managed to regain his focus and secure the victory in the tie-break, despite Tsitsipas saving five match points.
Reflecting on his performance, Alcaraz acknowledged a slight loss of focus towards the end of the third set but expressed satisfaction with his ability to recover and maintain a high level of play.
In an earlier match, Djokovic, a two-time Paris champion, advanced to the semifinals after overcoming Karen Khachanov with a score of 4-6, 7-6 (7/0), 6-2, 6-4. This marks Djokovic’s 12th semifinal appearance and his 45th at a Grand Slam tournament.
