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Alcaraz prepares to defeat Siner and reach the Paris finals
Carlos Alcaraz took a step closer to his first French Open title by defeating world number one Janic Siner in a thrilling semi-final.
Spanish third seed Alcaraz fought back twice in a 2-6 6-3 3-6 6-4 6-3 victory.
Alcaraz lost two match points – hitting the net after a baseline duel and then lifting a forehand – before taking advantage of his third chance.
Second-seeded Italian Sinner, who struggled with cramp in the third set, was looking for back-to-back major titles after winning the Australian Open in January.
But after getting stronger as the match went on, Alcaraz pulled out.
“You have to find joy in suffering, that’s the key,” Alcaraz said.
Even more here on clay – long rallies, four-hour matches, five sets, you have to fight. But you have to enjoy suffering.
The 21-year-old is now just one win from completing three career Grand Slams, having previously won the 2022 US Open and last year’s Wimbledon.
Alcaraz will face fourth-seeded Alexander Zorev of Germany or seventh-seeded Kasper Rood of Norway in Sunday’s men’s final.
Zverev and Rudd – both seeking their first Grand Slam titles – will meet in the second semi-final later on Friday.
Zverev comes just hours after a court in Berlin was adjourned over allegations of domestic abuse by his ex-girlfriend.
Alcaraz is going through one of the most difficult matches
The emerging rivalry between Sinner and Alcaraz is one that many in tennis believe could fill the void of the aging superstars.
Few will forget the epic 2022 US Open quarter-final that ended at 2.50am in New York and featured some amazing exchanges.
It was a different kind of match. Neither player found their best consistently — and rarely at the same time.
But the match turned into a fascinating encounter in which, at times, each man relied on his heart as much as his head.
“It was definitely one of the hardest games I’ve played,” Alcaraz said.
The 22-year-old Siner got off to what could be considered a perfect start, setting up two break points on Alcaraz’s serve to race to a 4-0 lead twice.
With strong defense and a deep return, Siner drew a flurry of errors from Alcaraz’s forehand and continued to confuse his opponent at the start of the second set.
Another early break gave Sinner the lead – but the dynamic quickly changed.
Alcaraz, with better angles and more accuracy with Siner not hitting as deep, broke twice to turn a 2-0 lead into a 5-2 lead and tie the game.
After the usual breaks at the start of the third set, Alcaraz failed to win four more chances at 2-2 as Siner struggled with arm cramps.
After receiving treatment, Sinner recovered and broke down in the next game before requiring further attention – this time on his legs – from physios.
Siner served well to move ahead. However, a ferocious foray at 30-15 4-5 in the fourth set, which sent it wide and sent Alcaraz reeling, proved costly.
Last year, Alcaraz suffered a full-body cramp in his first semifinal at Roland Garros, citing the tension of facing the incomparable Novak Djokovic.
This time, he looked more relaxed as the match wound down and eventually moved forward to take the decider.
Siner said: I think it was a great game.
