PARIS – Carlos Alcaraz is through to the Roland Garros semi-finals thanks to a tense win over Stefanos Tsitisipas, who wrote a new chapter in his own Greek tennis tragedy.
Alcaraz prevailed 6-3, 7-6 (7-3), 6-4 on the first truly spring-like night at the Philippe Chatrier stadium after days of cold, clouds and rain. Italian Jannik Sinner, the new world number one since Monday, will be his opponent for a place in the final.
‘It was a very good match, I was able to control my emotions,’ said Alcaraz after a match that was always under control, something that came as no surprise as it was his sixth win in six matches with the Greek, years ago a promise and for some time now stagnant.
The most interesting part of the match was the Greek’s fiery complaints to the chair umpire about Alcaraz’s shouting at the ball on impact.
‘I never complain about this but it’s frustrating. When I’m about to hit the shot… and moments before I hit the shot, I still hear the grunt. It’s not during the shot, it’s right before.’
The Greek was not wrong: on several occasions, the Spaniard’s groaning or shouting went on beyond what was reasonable, ‘invading’ the moment of his opponent’s shot.
The matter, in any case, had no solution. Alcaraz continued to make the groan on certain occasions and Tsitsipas would complain again.
Victory came with a stroke that is Alcaraz’s trademark: a forehand drop shot that Tsitsipas was unable to even attempt to run down. The end saw the two of them hugging at the net and the Greek apologising and signalling that his complaints during the match were not important and that the problem was his own.
It can be said that the real tournament begins now for the Spaniard, who has lost only one set so far in the tournament. If a year ago the high expectations played a dirty trick on him in the semi-final he lost cramped to Novak Djokovic, the old guard of tennis no longer has a say in the tournament: Roger Federer retired, Rafael Nadal eliminated in the first round and Djokovic who dropped out on Tuesday due to injury.
It’s all in the hands of the new generation, and Alcaraz and Sinner are its two main exponents. The Spaniard wants to win to seek his third Grand Slam title after the 2022 US Open and 2023 Wimbledon, while Sinner is aiming to add the Musketeers Trophy at Roland Garros after winning the Australian Open in January.
‘It’s a really tough challenge, he’s the player playing the best tennis right now,’ said Alcaraz, who smiled when he heard Swede Mats Wilander, who interviewed him in the stadium after the win, say the best match he had ever seen was the 2022 US Open quarter-final between him and the Italian.
