French Open: Carlos Alcaraz one win away from defending title after Musetti retires during semi-final clash

PARIS: Carlos Alcaraz stands one victory away from defending his crown at the French Open after Italy’s Lorenzo Musetti retired in the fourth set of their gripping semi-final clash on Friday.

The 22-year-old Spaniard led Musetti 4-6, 7-6(3), 6-0, 2-0 when the Italian retired from the match after two hours and 25 minutes. With the scoreline reading 0-5 in the third set, Musetti called the physio to receive treatment on his upper left leg. He continued to struggle and eventually retired from the match.

“It’s never great getting through or winning a match like this. Lorenzo is a great player. He has had an incredible clay season. [He is] one of the few players who achieved at least the semi-finals at all the biggest events on clay. I think just four players had done that before… I always wish him all the best and a quick recovery, and hopefully, we will enjoy his tennis pretty soon,” Alcaraz said in his on-court interview, as quoted by ATP.

Following his triumph, Alcaraz became the fifth-youngest player to reach five Grand Slam finals in the Open Era. He is the third active men’s player to achieve that feat after Serbian maestro Novak Djokovic (37) and Russian star Daniil Medvedev (6).

With an aggressive start, Alcaraz cleared his intent early under a closed roof on Court Philippe-Chatrier. He struck ferociously from both ends, but Musetti soaked in Alcaraz’s intensity and clinched the first set.

Despite the setback, Alcaraz responded boldly, conjured some of his finest stroke plays to restore parity in a closely contested second game and continued on the road leading towards the final.

“The first two sets were really tough. I had chances to break his serve in the match. I couldn’t make the most of them. He was playing great tennis. When I won the second set, there was a little bit of relief, and then in the third set I knew what I had to do at the beginning: Just push him to the limit and try to be aggressive. Not let him dominate the game more and just be myself. I was calmer. I could see more clearly and could play great tennis at the beginning of the third set,” he added.

Alcaraz will be keen on extending his 4-0 flawless record in the Grand Slam final. He is waiting for his opponent to be decided in the second semi-final between three-time champion Novak Djokovic and reigning world number one Jannik Sinner.

“For sure, I’m not going to miss it. This match is one of the best matchups we have in tennis right now. Sinner against Djokovic, it’s going to be great tennis. As a huge fan of tennis I’m going to watch it, I’m going to enjoy it. Obviously, I’m going to take tactics from that match, but I think we are all going to enjoy that match because they are going to play great tennis,” he said. (ANI)