Alcaraz defeats Sinner in five-set Roland Garros SF thriller

  • Posted: Jun 07, 2024

Carlos Alcaraz advanced to his first Roland Garros final on Friday when he defeated Italian Jannik Sinner 2-6, 6-3, 3-6, 6-4, 6-3 in a Paris semi-final thriller.

In one of the most anticipated matches of the year, both players struggled to find their best level in the opening two sets. With the match all square at one set all, Alcaraz looked to gain control when Sinner suffered with hand cramp at 2-2 in the third set. The Italian regularly shook out his hand between points and although his service speed dropped in the game, he saved four break points to survive on serve before he received treatment at 3-2.

Sinner came out firing on the resumption to break Alcaraz immediately and held firm on serve to move ahead. Alcaraz refused to surrender in the fourth, though, with both players striking the ball with clean and effortless timing. With little to separate them, the World No. 3 Alcaraz found more quality and intensity in his play at the end of the fourth set to win it and force a decider.

The 21-year-old then produced moments of magic in an absorbing fifth set, breaking Sinner’s serve early with a fierce forehand winner. Alcaraz put his foot down from that moment and refused to let Sinner back in, sealing a mammoth victory on his third match point after four hours and 10 minutes. Alcaraz, who struck 65 winners to Sinner’s 39, raised his arms in the air and embraced the roar from the crowd after sealing his win.

“You have to find the joy suffering,” Alcaraz said after his win against Sinner, who won two more points than the Spaniard in the match (147-145). “That is the key, even more here on clay at Roland Garros. Long rallies, four-hour matches, five sets. You have to fight, you have to suffer but as I told my team, you have to enjoy suffering.”

With his third Top 5 win of the season, Alcaraz improved to 5-4 against Sinner in the pair’s ever-developing Lexus ATP Head2Head series.

“The toughest matches that I have played in my short career have been against Jannik,” Alcaraz said. “The US Open in 2022, this one. Jannik is a great player. The team he has as well and the great work he puts in every day and I hope to play him many, many more matches like this against him. One of the toughest matches that I have played for sure.”

Alcaraz will aim to win his third major title and improve to 3-0 in Grand Slam finals when he faces Casper Ruud or Alexander Zverev in Sunday’s championship match. The 2021 Next Gen ATP Finals presented by PIF victor won the US Open in 2022 and lifted the Wimbledon trophy in 2023.

The 21-year-old is the youngest player to advance to a major final on all three surfaces and the second-youngest Roland Garros men’s singles finalist since 2000. Rafael Nadal reached the title match in 2005, 2006 and 2007 aged 19-21.

Alcaraz missed Rome last month due to a right forearm injury but has been comfortable on the Parisian clay. The Spaniard, who sunk Stefanos Tsitsipas in straight sets in the quarter-finals, has dropped just three sets in the French capital.

Sinner was competing in his first semi-final at the clay-court major and was trying to reach his second major final. The 22-year-old, who won the Australian Open in January, will rise to No. 1 in the PIF ATP Rankings for the first time on Monday and leaves Paris holding a 33-3 record on the season.

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Sinner raced out of the blocks against Alcaraz, breaking the 21-year-old’s serve in the opening game to gain an immediate foothold. The Italian swung freely and showed little sign of nerves throughout the first set in contrast to Alcaraz, who struggled to find his range in the early stages. Alcaraz did eventually get on the board in the fifth game, but it was too little too late in the set, with Sinner remaining relentless from the baseline to lead. Sinner committed nine unforced errors in the set compared to 12 from Alcaraz.

Alcaraz raised his performance in the second set to force his way back into the clash. The 13-time tour-level titlist capitalised on Sinner’s lack of depth to open up the court, playing aggressive, front-foot tennis to shift momentum. The Spaniard had a spring in his step after breaking back at the start of the set and bounced back to his chair after sealing the second set on his first set point. Sinner committed 12 unforced errors in the set and hit just three winners to allow Alcaraz a foothold in the clash.

With momentum going his way, Alcaraz then broke Sinner’s serve early in the third set to take control, but the Italian responded by winning three games on the spin. The 22-year-old broke back for 2-2 before he fended off four break points on his serve to move 3-2 ahead. He received treatment for cramp at 3-2 and then took further control when he produced a moment of magic on return, hitting a backhand winner crosscourt on break point to lead 4-2. Sinner closed out the set on serve to move to within a set of his first Roland Garros final.

<img src=”/-/media/images/news/2024/06/07/17/35/sinner-roland-garros-2024-sf-treatment.jpg” style=”width:100%;” alt=”Jannik Sinner receives treatment during his Roland Garros semi-final against Carlos Alcaraz.” />
Photo Credit: Peter Staples/ATP Tour
In a high-quality fourth set, both players hammered the ball from the baseline. The Italian and Spaniard went blow for blow with their thunderous groundstrokes and at 4-4, there was little to divide them. With a raucous crowd enjoying every minute, it was Alcaraz who found the decisive breakthrough, teeing off when he could to force a fifth set.

Alcaraz continued to play at a high intensity in the fifth set against Sinner, who started to tire. The Spaniard raced 3-0 ahead and hit 15 winners in the set, according to Infosys Stats, to improve to 10-1 in fifth sets at majors.

“I saw him struggling a little bit in the [third set], but I was cramping as well in the third set,” Alcaraz said. “I learned from last year’s match against Djokovic and was in the same position today. But I learned you have to be calm, to keep going because the cramp is going to go away. You have to fight. The third set was a little bit weird but the fourth set and fifth set were great points. [We played] great tennis and I am really happy with everything that I have done today, waiting for my moments.”

Did You Know?
Sinner, 22, vs. Alcaraz, 21, was the youngest major semi-final since Andy Murray, 21, defeated Nadal, 22, at the US Open in 2008.

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