Carlos Alcaraz Bullies Tommy Paul In Straight-Sets Win To Enter French Open Semis
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Carlos Alcaraz defeated Tommy Paul 6-0, 6-1, 6-4 to reach the French Open semifinals for the third consecutive year, where he will face Lorenzo Musetti next.
Facing Carlos Alcaraz at the French Open is a daunting task for any player. If you aren't at your peak performance, especially in clay, as Tommy Paul experienced in the quarterfinals on Tuesday night, there's little hope for success.
Alcaraz, the No. 2 seed, advanced to the semifinals at Roland-Garros for the third consecutive year with a commanding 6-0, 6-1, 6-4 victory over No. 12 Tommy Paul. Paul, who had his right thigh heavily taped, struggled to run, serve, or hit groundstrokes with full force.
Alcaraz needed just 52 minutes to secure the first two sets, amassing a 23-5 edge in winners during that time, with final totals of 40-13.
The third set was more competitive, with Paul leading 4-3 at one point as spectators at Court Philippe-Chatrier chanted his name. However, Alcaraz won the next three games to finish the match in just over 90 minutes.
Alcaraz, aiming for his fifth Grand Slam title, is the first reigning men's champion in Paris to return to the semifinals the following year since Rafael Nadal in 2021. He has an impressive 20-1 record on red clay this season and leads the men's tour with 35 wins and three titles.
In the semifinals, Alcaraz will face No. 8 Lorenzo Musetti, who defeated No. 15 Frances Tiafoe in four sets earlier on Tuesday.
Paul, a semifinalist at the 2023 Australian Open, and Tiafoe, a two-time U.S. Open semifinalist, were the first American men to reach the quarterfinals at Roland-Garros since Andre Agassi in 2003.
First Published:
June 04, 2025, 01:54 IST
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