Spanish phenomenon Carlos Alcaraz, 6th in the world, was eliminated by Alexander Zverev (3rd) 6-4, 6-4, 4-6 and 7-6 (9/7), Tuesday, in the quarter-finals of Roland- Garros. The German will face Novak Djokovic or Rafael Nadal in the semi-finals.
I knew I had to play my best tennis now, start over. I’m glad I did itsaid Zverev, 25.
He was coming back strong … He’s an incredible player, I told him on the net that he will win this tournament many times, not just once. Hopefully I can win him over before he starts beating us all up and we don’t have a chance.added the Tokyo Olympic champion.
Semi-finalist last year on clay in Paris, Zverev survived a heavy defeat against Alcaraz in the final in Madrid in early May (6-3 and 6-1).
By hitting his opponent’s backhand, he who has lost his 11 games against the top 10 players in the grand slam so far, he has been able to prevent the Spaniard from insisting on his game, his rhythm, his vitality.
Solid in his serving, the German only allowed one break point in the first set, which he saved, and only needed a break to break away 3-2 and win the first set.
In the second, Alcaraz had a break point to lead 3-1, but it failed to materialize and once again the German took the Spanish serve to lead 4-3.
At 5-4, Zverev served for the set: strongly supported by the public, Alcaraz saved two set points, had the ball to recover the break, but saw the set fly away with an ace from the German in the third innings ball.
Round three has long been undisputed. At 4-4, Alcaraz saved a particularly important break point and eventually won their service game. And it was on a new cushioning that the Spaniard caused Zverev’s offense and won the third set.
In the fourth, the high level of play is greatly increased.
Alcaraz offered the break to Zverev on double fault. Leading 5-4, the German served for the match, but Alcaraz didn’t give up and went back 5-5.
The two men came to the tiebreaker, where Zverev offered himself the first match point on his serve on 7/6, then a second on 8/7 that he converted into a winning comeback.
He will play his fifth semi-final in the grand slam. He only reached the final once, at the 2020 US Open, and lost to Dominic Thiem.
For his part, at age 19, Alcaraz again failed at the gates of the last four after the United States Open in September (abandonment against Félix Auger-Aliassime).
For his first Roland-Garros last year, student Juan Carlos Ferrero, ex-world no. 1 and 2003 winner in Paris, in the third round (defeated by Struff) after slipping through the qualifiers.
Source: Radio-Canada
