Alcaraz reaches French Open final after Musetti retires
Defending champion Carlos Alcaraz has reached back-to-back French Open finals after Italian eighth seed Lorenzo Musetti retired with injury while trailing 4-6 7-6 (7-3) 6-0 2-0.
Alcaraz is attempting to become only the third man to retain his Roland Garros title this century, after Rafa Nadal and Gustavo Kuerten,
"It's never great to go through like this," Alcaraz said, before hailing Musetti's achievement of reaching at least the semi-finals of all four elite claycourt events this year.
"He's a great player, he has had an incredible claycourt season ... I wish him a speedy recovery and I'm sure we'll be enjoying his tennis pretty soon."
Musetti twice denied Alcaraz the chance to break in the opening nine games before the 23-year-old suddenly dialled up the intensity and snatched the opening set when his Spanish opponent produced errors in a poor service game.
A frustrated Alcaraz kicked his bench during the second set but finally found a way through Musetti's dogged defence to draw level after a tiebreak and then produced a dazzling display of power and precision to dish out a bagel in the third set.
Musetti, who appeared to be hampered by a left thigh issue midway through the third set, threw in the towel after two games in the fourth.
"The first two sets were tough. I had chances to be up in the match but couldn't make the most of them," Alcaraz added.
"When I won the second set, I was relieved and I knew that I needed to be aggressive and be myself. I was calmer. I could see clearer and I could play great tennis at the start of the third.
"I'm feeling great physically. It's been three intense weeks but I have one more step to take. I'm playing great tennis and I have great confidence. I've been doing great things in this tournament and now is the time to give 100 per cent in the final."
Alcaraz said he would tune into the second semi-final on Court Philippe Chatrier to watch world No.1 Jannik Sinner take on 24-time Grand Slam champion Novak Djokovic and study his opponent for Sunday's final.
"I'm not going to miss tonight's match, it's one of the best we can have right now, Sinner against Djokovic," he said.
"I'm going to watch it and enjoy it and take tactics from the match."
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With Djokovic now the only active member of tennis's Big Four that also included Roger Federer, Rafa Nadal and Andy Murray and yielded a collective 69 major titles in more than two decades, Sinner sensed an opportunity for himself and Alcaraz. "It takes time to compare us with the Big Three or Big Four, no? Only time can tell, to be honest," Sinner told reporters. "For sure, from my point of view, he's a player who makes me a better player. He pushes me to the limit. We try to understand where we have to improve, for the next times I play against him. "I believe that tennis or every sport needs rivalries. This could be potentially one of them, but there are amazing players coming up. There can be so many different and other players joining or one drops. You never know." Sunday's clash on Court Philippe Chatrier will mark only the 12th time Sinner and Alcaraz have faced off, with the 22-year-old Spaniard looking for a fifth straight victory over his opponent to successfully defend his title. Djokovic said the pair would have to keep going to match the rivalry he had with Federer, Nadal and Murray. "At the moment, that's hard, because they need to play against each for at least 10-plus years non-stop in order to be part of the same discussion," Djokovic added. "But they're definitely great for tennis, both of them. I think their rivalry is something our sport needs." Sinner said he and Alcaraz had a similar aura and could get more fans interested in the sport. "He's a player with charisma, with that aura," Sinner said. "The moment he steps on court, you can feel his presence. In the end, that's exactly what tennis needs. The more people like that, the more players like that, the better. "In the end, it's exactly those players who bring people closer to the sport and make them want to watch tennis." Sinner extended his winning streak in grand slams to 20 matches, after winning the US Open and the Australian Open. In the earlier semi-final, Alcaraz led 4-6 7-6 (7-3) 6-0 2-0 against Lorenzo Musetti when the eighth-seeded Italian retired with a leg injury. Alcaraz is attempting to become only the third man to retain his Roland Garros title this century, after Rafa Nadal and Gustavo Kuerten. Musetti twice denied Alcaraz the chance to break in the opening nine games before the 23-year-old suddenly dialled up the intensity and snatched the opening set when his Spanish opponent produced errors in a poor service game. A frustrated Alcaraz kicked his bench during the second set but finally found a way through Musetti's dogged defence to draw level after a tiebreak and then produced a dazzling display of power and precision to advance. "I'm feeling great physically. It's been three intense weeks but I have one more step to take. I'm playing great tennis and I have great confidence. I've been doing great things in this tournament and now is the time to give 100 per cent in the final." Jannik Sinner believes his battle for supremacy with fellow French Open finalist Carlos Alcaraz could become the defining rivalry of their era. And the world No.1 believes it is something the sport needs with its golden generation of players calling time on their careers. Sinner beat Novak Djokovic 6-4 7-5 7-6 (7-3) in a generational battle on Court Philippe Chatrier to deny his Serbian opponent a record 25th grand slam and leave him unsure whether he will ever return to Roland Garros, where he has won three major trophies. The 23-year-old Italian, who is seeking his fourth grand slam title, booked a mouth-watering meeting with his main rival Alcaraz, who will aim to retain his crown at Roland Garros and add a fifth major crown to his trophy cabinet. With Djokovic now the only active member of tennis's Big Four that also included Roger Federer, Rafa Nadal and Andy Murray and yielded a collective 69 major titles in more than two decades, Sinner sensed an opportunity for himself and Alcaraz. "It takes time to compare us with the Big Three or Big Four, no? Only time can tell, to be honest," Sinner told reporters. "For sure, from my point of view, he's a player who makes me a better player. He pushes me to the limit. We try to understand where we have to improve, for the next times I play against him. "I believe that tennis or every sport needs rivalries. This could be potentially one of them, but there are amazing players coming up. There can be so many different and other players joining or one drops. You never know." Sunday's clash on Court Philippe Chatrier will mark only the 12th time Sinner and Alcaraz have faced off, with the 22-year-old Spaniard looking for a fifth straight victory over his opponent to successfully defend his title. Djokovic said the pair would have to keep going to match the rivalry he had with Federer, Nadal and Murray. "At the moment, that's hard, because they need to play against each for at least 10-plus years non-stop in order to be part of the same discussion," Djokovic added. "But they're definitely great for tennis, both of them. I think their rivalry is something our sport needs." Sinner said he and Alcaraz had a similar aura and could get more fans interested in the sport. "He's a player with charisma, with that aura," Sinner said. "The moment he steps on court, you can feel his presence. In the end, that's exactly what tennis needs. The more people like that, the more players like that, the better. "In the end, it's exactly those players who bring people closer to the sport and make them want to watch tennis." Sinner extended his winning streak in grand slams to 20 matches, after winning the US Open and the Australian Open. In the earlier semi-final, Alcaraz led 4-6 7-6 (7-3) 6-0 2-0 against Lorenzo Musetti when the eighth-seeded Italian retired with a leg injury. Alcaraz is attempting to become only the third man to retain his Roland Garros title this century, after Rafa Nadal and Gustavo Kuerten. Musetti twice denied Alcaraz the chance to break in the opening nine games before the 23-year-old suddenly dialled up the intensity and snatched the opening set when his Spanish opponent produced errors in a poor service game. A frustrated Alcaraz kicked his bench during the second set but finally found a way through Musetti's dogged defence to draw level after a tiebreak and then produced a dazzling display of power and precision to advance. "I'm feeling great physically. It's been three intense weeks but I have one more step to take. I'm playing great tennis and I have great confidence. I've been doing great things in this tournament and now is the time to give 100 per cent in the final."
