Alcaraz enters French Open final after Musetti retires
Carlos Alcaraz kept his Roland Garros title defence on track as he booked his spot in the final after eighth seed Lorenzo Musetti retired injured in the fourth set of their semi-final on Friday.
The Spaniard led 4-6, 7-6 (7/3), 6-0, 2-0 after two hours and 25 minutes of play under the roof on Court Philippe Chatrier when Musetti quit with a thigh issue.
Second seed Alcaraz will defend his crown on Sunday against either world number one Jannik Sinner or 24-time Grand Slam champion Novak Djokovic.
'It's been three intense weeks and now I have one step to make,' he said. 'I'll give everything on Sunday, I've been playing great tennis this tournament.'
He now leads 23-year-old Musetti 6-1 in their head-to-head series, winning all three of their clay-court battles this season after victories in the final at Monte Carlo and semi-finals of the Italian Open.
The 22-year-old, who is attempting to become only the third man to retain his Roland Garros title this century after Rafa Nadal and Gustavo Kuerten, is now into his second French Open showpiece match, and fifth major final overall.
Just as in the Monte Carlo final in April, it was the Tuscan who clinched the first set in the latest edition of the budding Alcaraz-Musetti rivalry.
Both players battled through an even opener that offered up occasional sparks of brilliance, but every time a sniff of a break opportunity appeared the server upped his game to nullify it.
Musetti eventually pounced at 5-4, drawing first blood in Alcaraz's fifth service game by concluding a brutal baseline rally with a hammered crosscourt forehand winner.
He then secured three set points when Alcaraz dragged a shot long, before the Spaniard dumped a forehand into the tramlines to give Musetti the lead.
The Italian began the second set with a trademark sweeping backhand down the line on the very first point as his confidence grew.
Four-time Grand Slam champion Alcaraz roared back to break Musetti to love in the third game, sealing it with a perfectly-weighted backhand drop-shot.
However, Musetti immediately riposted to level the set at 2-2.
Alcaraz produced two break points five games later but Musetti held his nerve to wipe both out before celebrating the crucial hold with a double fist pump towards his box.
The Monte Carlo and Rome champion did manage to get the break he needed on Musetti's next service game, but again the world number seven frustrated him by immediately hitting back to force a tie-break.
But Alcaraz was not to be denied as he raced into a 3-0 lead, before a kindly net cord helped a drop-shot on its way to take him to 5-1, and Musetti then netted a forehand on the run to give the Spaniard the set at the third time of asking.
Now firmly in the ascendancy, Alcaraz pressed his advantage by dominating his opponent's first two service games of the third set.
Musetti received a massage on his left thigh during the change-over while trailing 0-5, before Alcaraz again broke him to take the set in 22 minutes for the loss of just five points.
Musetti then signalled that he was unable to continue after the second game of the fourth set, shaking his opponent's hand before making his way off court.
It was an unfortunate end to an otherwise excellent clay-court season for the Carrera-native as he reached at least the semi-finals of the three Masters-level tournaments, as well as Roland Garros.
'It's never great to go through or win a match when it's like this,' said Alcaraz.
'He's done an incredible clay season. I wish him all the best, a quick recovery and that he'll be back soon.'
Musetti said he was 'really sad and disappointed' after a thigh injury put paid to his French Open semi-final with Alcaraz.
'I felt at the beginning of the third (set) when I was serving, I start to, start losing a little bit of strength on the left leg behind, and definitely was going worse and worse, so I decided to stop,' Musetti told his post-match press conference.
'I think was, you know, the right decision to make, even if it was not what I wanted.
'(I'm) really honestly sad and disappointed on how it ended, but still a great match so far.'
The abrupt ending was an unfortunate denouement to an intriguing battle between the rivals.
Agence France-Presse
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Khaleej Times
9 hours ago
- Khaleej Times
Alcaraz beats Lehecka in Queen's final to send Wimbledon statement
Top seed Carlos Alcaraz edged powerful Czech Jiri Lehecka 7-5 6-7(5) 6-2 to claim his second Queen's Club title and send out a powerful statement ahead of his Wimbledon defence on Sunday. Spaniard Alcaraz, who triumphed at Queen's a few weeks before claiming his first Wimbledon title in 2023, extended his winning streak to 18 matches but was pushed hard by Lehecka who underlined his own credentials as a rising force. Alcaraz, 22, pounced at 5-5 to break the Lehecka serve and duly bagged the opening set in 45 minutes. Lehecka, bidding to become the first Czech to win the Queen's title since Ivan Lendl in 1990, continued going toe-to-toe with the five-times Grand Slam champion and edged the second-set tie-break with some clinical tennis. Alcaraz had more in his locker though and forged 4-1 ahead in the decider as Lehecka's level finally began to drop on a breezy Andy Murray Arena in west London. He then broke the 23-year-old Lehecka's serve again to complete victory, letting out a roar of a delight as Lehecka struck a backhand into the net. While Alcaraz will be seeded number two at Wimbledon behind Jannik Sinner as he bids for a hat trick of titles there, he will arrive in red-hot form and as overwhelming favourite. He has won 27 of his 28 matches since April, his lone loss coming against Holger Rune in the Barcelona final, and Sunday's win was his fifth title this year. "This is really special this trophy and this tournament for me," Alcaraz said on court as he clutched the huge piece of silverware. "Jiri had an incredible week and his level is very high and it's a nightmare to play against you." Lehecka, whose ball-striking and physique are not dissimilar to Lendl's, beat home favourite Jack Draper in the semifinals on Saturday and began full of confidence against Alcaraz whom he beat at the start of the year in Doha. With serve dominating on the slick lawn, there was nothing between the players until Lehecka made a couple of errors at 5-5 and Alcaraz needed no second invitation to take the set. The second set followed a similar pattern but it was Lehecka who raised his game in the tiebreak to get a mini-break ahead. Alcaraz replied to win a sensational point at 3-4, sprinting to retrieve a drop shot and then back to chase down a lob. But Lehecka did not flinch and banged down an ace. Alcaraz double-faulted at 5-5 and then Lehecka levelled the final. Lehecka was unable to carry that momentum though and Alcaraz quickly re-established control and surged to victory. "The goal this week was just to compete and have a few matches on the grass and this final was a gift for me," Alcaraz said. "I just enjoyed the moment and the final, I felt like I was in control most of the time."
Dubai Eye
3 days ago
- Dubai Eye
Sinner and singer Bocelli strike up partnership for new single
World number one Jannik Sinner has formed a new doubles partnership but the duo will be battling for chart success rather than Grand Slam titles after the Italian released a single with compatriot and opera tenor Andrea Bocelli on Friday. The three-time Grand Slam champion Sinner promoted the song titled 'Polvere e Gloria' or 'Dust and Glory' on Instagram. The video features footage from the pair's childhoods and more recent clips of the singer and Sinner, clutching a racket and tennis ball, in front of a piano in Bocelli's home in Tuscany. Sinner's speeches form part of the song, which is in Italian and English, with Bocelli in full flow. "Every life is a potential work of art: each of us bears the sweet responsibility of nurturing our talents in the daily acrobatics of living, pursuing our dreams while remaining steadfastly true to our values," the pair wrote on Instagram. "This duet is such a bold leap that it has ignited our passion, born of shared and unwavering desire to express our deep belief that nothing is impossible." Sinner, the US Open and Australian Open champion, said he was honoured to be part of the project with Bocelli, describing the singer as a "unique and extraordinary voice" and "a flag for our country in the rest of the world". "I could never have imagined hearing my voice in one of his songs. It's extremely moving," the 23-year-old added. Sinner, who was beaten by Spaniard Carlos Alcaraz in an epic French Open final earlier this month, lost in the last 16 of the Halle Open on Thursday in a blow to his preparations for Wimbledon which gets underway on June 30. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Andrea Bocelli (@andreabocelliofficial)
Khaleej Times
3 days ago
- Khaleej Times
Alcaraz overcomes Munar marathon to reach Queen's quarters
Top seed Carlos Alcaraz was pushed all the way by fellow-Spaniard Jaume Munar in a thrilling contest before clinching a 6-4 6-7(7) 7-5 win and advanced to the Queen's Club Championships quarterfinals on Thursday. Alcaraz recently came out on top in an epic French Open final against Jannik Sinner, and while this second round clash in London may not have reached those same dizzying heights, the British crowd were served up an enthralling battle. The world number two was a break down in the deciding set but showed his strength once more as Alcaraz stretched his winning run to 15 matches, the longest streak of his career. "It was a really tough battle that we had today," Alcaraz said after more than three hours on court. "He's a great competitor and he showed how difficult it is to beat him." Alcaraz, the 2023 champion, looked well in control as he eased to take the opening set, and after saving four break and set points at 5-4 down in the second he forced Munar to a tiebreaker. The pair traded early breaks with neither player holding serve over the first four points, before a Munar double fault allowed Alcaraz to take a 5-4 lead. He smashed an ace but then hit a double fault of his own on match point. Munar made him pay this time to force a deciding set. After Alcaraz went 2-0 up, the French Open champion was broken in his next two service games and Munar went into a 4-2 lead. Alcaraz, however, was not done yet, and two more breaks of serve sealed a hard-earned victory as he continued his preparations for Wimbledon, where the Spaniard will be aiming to complete a hat-trick of triumphs. "I'm proud of the level I showed today. It's my second match on grass this year," Alcaraz said. "There were moments I struggled a lot mentally and physically. I still don't know how I'm standing here. But I'm really happy I've given myself another chance in the quarter-finals." Alcaraz will face either French lucky loser Arthur Rinderknech or American Reilly Opelka. British number two Jacob Fearnley reached his first ATP Tour quarterfinal with a 6-3 2-6 6-2 win over French qualifier Corentin Moutet. "I'm very happy to be in my first quarter-final, it's even better to do it here in the UK," Fearnley said. "I tried to stick to my game plan and be aggressive. I did that better in the third set and the result speaks for itself." Fearnley raced into a 3-0 lead, and while Moutet broke back, the Briton responded immediately with another break of his own to ease through the first set. Moutet did likewise in the second, sailing 3-0 ahead before breaking for a second time to clinch the set and force the decider, where Fearnley broke twice before holding serve to love to clinch victory in style. The 23-year-old will now face Jiri Lehecka after the Czech beat Canada's Gabriel Diallo 6-4 6-2.
