Alcaraz triumphs over the new number 1 and breaks an age record. The momentum in the exciting, but not always high-class match changes constantly. Will Zverev or Ruud follow him into the final?
Spain’s tennis star Carlos Alcaraz won the entertaining five-set duel between the young stars and Jannik Sinner and reached the final of the French Open for the first time. The 21-year-old won 2:6, 6:3, 3:6, 6:4, 6:3 against the physically weakened Italian (22) and is now just one win away from his third Grand Slam title. After 4 hours and 9 minutes, Alcaraz converted his third match point.
With his prestigious victory against the future number 1 in the world rankings, Alcaraz also set an age record: he is the youngest player in the professional era to have reached a Grand Slam final on all three surfaces: clay, grass and hard court. He has won his previous finals at the 2022 US Open and 2023 Wimbledon.
In the final on Sunday at the Stade Roland Garros, the world number three will face either the German Olympic champion Alexander Zverev or the Norwegian Casper Ruud. The second semi-final will take place in the evening on Court Philippe Chatrier.
Changing match
Before the match, Alcaraz had described his opponent from South Tyrol as the best player in the world at the moment and enthused: “Everything he does, he does perfectly.” As if to confirm this, Sinner was ahead 4-0 after just 16 minutes with two breaks, and the crowd reacted with encouraging applause for the initially perplexed Spaniard.
After another weak start in the second set, Alcaraz found his rhythm and suddenly dominated the long rallies in particular. Sinner, who had been out for weeks with a hip injury before the start of the tournament, was weak on his first serve, made many mistakes and no longer moved as well.
But Sinner, who takes over the lead in the world rankings from the injured Novak Djokovic on Monday, pulled himself together and won the third set. However, he had to be treated by a physiotherapist for cramps in his forearm and leg. Physically weakened, he could no longer stop the dynamic Alcaraz.
Incident in the stands
The match had to be stopped for a few minutes in the fourth set because a spectator in the stands had apparently fainted. “Bring them water,” said Alcaraz during the short break.
Given the age of the two opponents, the duel between Sinner and Alcaraz was the youngest Grand Slam semifinal since 2008, when Rafael Nadal and Andy Murray faced each other in the semifinals of the US Open.
Source: Stern
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