(Tennis news) Stefanos Tsitsipas, the fifth-ranked player in the world, was defeated by Carlos Alcaraz in straight sets after coming out swinging and solidly establishing his title credentials. The 22-time Grand Slam champion Novak Djokovic will compete against the World No. 1 Carlos Alcaraz in the semi-final.
The year 2023 is gradually but inevitably becoming into Carlos Alcaraz’s Roland Garros, if 2005 was Rafael Nadal’s. In a lopsided quarterfinal match at the Phillipe-Chatrier, the World No. 1 and 20-year-old Spaniard destroyed World No. 5 Stefanos Tsitsipas, aggressively confirming his title claims.
Having won the men’s singles quarterfinal in 2 hours and 12 minutes with scores of 6-2, 6-1, and 7-6 (5), Carlos Alcaraz advanced quickly to his first of many Roland Garros semifinals. And he smiled the entire time he was working on the demolition!
The Chatrier crowd thoroughly enjoyed watching Alcaraz’s brilliance during the night session, but they were also somewhat let down by the match’s extreme lopsidedness. Tsitsipas, who came close to winning the French Open in 2021 and advanced to the semi-final on the Paris red clay a year ago, was surpassed by Alcaraz in terms of talent. To Alcaraz’s brilliance, Tsitsipas had absolutely no responses.
On a night where he demonstrated to the world how terrifyingly excellent he can be in the future, Alcaraz received 77 percent of first serve winners to Tsitsipas 61, and he was broken just once over the course of three sets. Alcaraz showed some trepidation when he botched his service game with the chance to end the match at 5-3 in the third set.
The Chatrier crowd erupted as Tsitsipas eventually broke. The Greek’s happiness was fleeting, though. Alcaraz’s answer was champion-like, and in the tiebreaker he recovered his mojo to win the match in just over two hours. Alcaraz acknowledged that after losing a chance to end the match early in the third set, he lost a little bit of focus, but he also said he was pleased with the way he found the solution.
“I lost my focus a little bit at the end of the third set,” Alcaraz said.
“I had a couple of match points on the return, [and then] serving for the match. He started to play, I would say, better. But of course I lost my focus a little bit.
“I was in trouble. I’m really happy to overcome that problem, still playing a great level, believing in myself, believing that I was going to win the third set.”
By defeating the 11th-seeded Karen Khachanov in four sets in the quarterfinal encounter earlier in the day, the 20-year-old set up an exciting semifinal matchup with 22-time Grand Slam champion Novak Djokovic. Alcaraz said he is eager to compete against Djokovic, “one of the best” in the industry, in the highly anticipated semi-final on Friday.
“I really wanted to play this match as well. I always say that if you want to be the best you have to beat the best. Novak Djokovic right now is one of the best players in the world, so it’s going to be a really tough challenge for me. But I’m really looking forward to that match, playing such a great level,” Alcaraz said.
The Chatrier crowd cheered at one point during the third set, which ended up being the decisive set, in an effort to support Tsitsipas. The applause were so loud that they gave the 24-year-old Greek player in the fifth set tiebreaker the impression that she had won on her match point. Tsitsipas, though, only managed to avoid a bagel and win a point in the third set. All the crowd’s efforts to increase the underdog’s self-confidence and heart rate were in vain.
Djokovic would have become a little scared after seeing his semi-final opponent destroy a top-tier clay-court player in such a manner. But the person we’re talking about is Djokovic. Despite losing their sole encounter, the Serb, a two-time victor in Paris, will be eager to take on Alcaraz, which will make for an exciting semi-final at Roland Garros.
Tsitsipas was left baffled on centre court as Alcaraz’s forehand, on-the-spot forehand passes, backhand slices, serve, and everything else all worked like a well-oiled machine. Tsitsipas was punished for a time violation once, and he also twice let off fury by hitting his box at the Chatrier. The Greek was up against an overpowering force in his quarterfinal match, so none of that could motivate him.
Alcaraz was playing at the pinnacle of his abilities, but the poise with which he sustained that intensity for the whole of the three sets spoke volumes about his talent at such a young age. Alcaraz, who triumphed at Roland Garros as a youngster last year, is well-positioned for success. It will be a test of his resolve to face the 22-time Grand Slam champion in the semifinal, but it would be foolish to wager against Alcaraz after learning more about his goals on Tuesday.
Notably, Alcaraz defeated Tsitsipas for the fifth time in a row in as many matches on the tour. The lopsided loss may have forced him to reconsider his strategy and focus on what he needs to do in order to neutralise the Alcaraz threat in the future, as the on-air pundits noted.
