French Open: Djokovic downs Zverev to set up semifinal against Sinner
A crucial moment arrived more than two and a half hours into Novak Djokovic's French Open quarterfinal victory over Alexander Zverev. It was the fourth set, and Djokovic led, but Zverev was in possession of a break point and a chance to get back into the match.
They engaged in a 41-stroke exchange, the longest of a buggy and breezy Wednesday night, and Djokovic came out on top, smacking a forehand winner. He stayed in place afterwards, breathing heavily, with hands on his hips, scanning the standing ovation from thousands of Court Philippe-Chatrier spectators.
Djokovic might be 38 now. He might have slogged through a pair of three-match losing skids this season and slid to sixth in the rankings. What has not changed is Djokovic's determination or his ability to be his best on big stages — and now he is two wins from a record 25th Grand Slam title.
Djokovic proved too much for third seed Zverev, a man who's a decade younger and was last year's runner-up at Roland-Garros, winning 4-6, 6-3, 6-2, 6-4 to set up a semifinal showdown against top-seeded Jannik Sinner.
Earlier on Wednesday, Sinner continued his overpowering run through the bracket by dismissing Alexander Bublik 6-1, 7-5, 6-0. Sinner has not only not dropped a set so far, but he has ceded a total of only 36 games through five matches.
So Friday will bring a tantalising showdown between the player many consider the top player in tennis history, Djokovic, and the player who is at the top of the men's game at the moment, Sinner. Djokovic and Sinner are tied 4-4 in their head-to-head series, but Sinner has won the last three matchups.
No one has spent more weeks at number one in the rankings than Djokovic. No one has won more major championships or reached more major semifinals than his total that now stands at 51 after becoming the second-oldest man to get that far in Paris.
Sinner, 23, is a three-time Grand Slam champion. That includes last year's US Open and this year's Australian Open, so his unbeaten streak at majors is now at 19 matches. He's also won his last 26 sets at those events.
'He's playing fast. He's playing smart,' Bublik said. 'He's in another dimension with all the aspects of the game.'
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Al Jazeera
4 hours ago
- Al Jazeera
Sinner beats Djokovic to set up French Open final with Alcaraz
Top-ranked Jannik Sinner beat Novak Djokovic 6-4, 7-5, 7-6 (3) to set up a French Open final against defending champion Carlos Alcaraz. Djokovic is the men's record 24-time Grand Slam champion but could not counter Sinner's relentless accuracy and pounding forehands on Court Philippe-Chatrier on Friday evening. Sinner became only the second Italian man to reach the final at Roland-Garros after Adriano Panatta, the 1976 champion. Earlier, Alcaraz led 4-6, 7-6 (3), 6-0, 2-0 against Lorenzo Musetti when the eighth-seeded Italian retired with a leg injury. Sinner is aiming for his fourth major title, Alcaraz his fifth. Djokovic fought back in the third set but wilted in the tiebreaker, somehow missing an easy smash at the net to trail 3-0 and then lost on the second match point he faced when his forehand hit the net. 'These are rare and special moments,' Sinner said. 'I'm very happy.' He extended his winning streak in Grand Slam tournaments to 20 matches after winning the US Open and the Australian Open. Djokovic was bidding for a record-extending 38th Grand Slam final, and eighth in Paris, where he was won three times. But he spent much of the semifinal camped behind the baseline, sliding at full stretch and grunting loudly while Sinner sent him scurrying left and right like a windscreen wiper. A cross-court two-handed backhand winner from Sinner in the ninth game of the third set was executed with such pure timing that it drew applause even from Djokovic. Sinner gave him almost no chances, but there was a glimmer of light in the 10th game, when Djokovic had four chances to break Sinner's serve. The crowd broke out into prolonged chants of 'Nole! Nole!' as Djokovic forced two break points at 15-40. Sinner saved both. Tensions were rising. The crowd started self-policing when a couple of rowdy fans shouted out as Sinner prepared to serve, telling the offenders to 'Chut!' (French for shush). Djokovic's forehand landed wide on his third break-point chance, making it deuce. The chair umpire, Damien Dumusois, came down to check the mark. Djokovic disagreed and walked over, saying, 'It's on the line.' Then Sinner came to the net and had a brief discussion with Djokovic, who lost the point but won the next with an overhead smash for a fourth set point, saved again by Sinner.
Al Jazeera
10 hours ago
- Al Jazeera
Alcaraz on course for French Open defence as Musetti retires injured
Defending champion Carlos Alcaraz secured a return to the French Open final after an early scare from eighth seed Lorenzo Musetti, who was eventually forced to retire with injury. Italian Musetti took the first set 6-4, before Alcaraz fought back to take the next two sets 7-6(3) 6-0 and lead 2-0 in the fourth before his opponent's leg injury took hold on Friday. The Spaniard, who is attempting to become only the third man to retain his Roland Garros title this century after Rafa Nadal and Gustavo Kuerten, will face either world number one Jannik Sinner or 24-time Grand Slam champion Novak Djokovic in Sunday's final. 'It's never great to go through like this,' Alcaraz said, before hailing Musetti's achievement of reaching at least the semifinals 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 percent in the final.' Alcaraz said he would tune into the second semifinal on Court Philippe Chatrier to study his potential opponents. '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.'
Qatar Tribune
a day ago
- Qatar Tribune
Sabalenka ends Swiatek's reign; Gauff stops Boisson
DPA Paris Iga Swiatek's reign as the queen of clay was ended by Aryna Sabalenka in the semi-finals of the French Open on Thursday, and so was the dream run of French wildcard entry Lois Boisson. The irresistible force beat the immovable object as runaway world number one Sabalenka inflicted the four-time champion's first defeat at the tournament in four years. In the first meeting between the WTA's two most dominant players at a grand slam since the 2022 US Open, Swiatek's run of 26 consecutive victories at the Paris grand slam was halted in a 7-6 (7-1), 4-6, 6-0 defeat. After a semi-final which would have graced the final - and it probably would have been had Swiatek's ranking not slipped to five - Sabalenka said: 'Honestly it feels incredible. 'I understand the job is not done yet but I'm thrilled with the performance and this win.' A three-time grand slam champion on hard courts, Sabalenka finally made her first final on the red dirt of Roland Garros. There she will face world number two Coco Gauff as Boisson finally ran out of juice and the American managed to dilute the Paris crowd with a composed 6-1 6-2 victory. France's Boisson, the world number 361, sent shockwaves around Roland Garros by becoming the first wildcard to reach the semi-finals. The 22-year-old from Dijon proved she could cut the mustard having knocked out third seed Jessica Pegula and sixth-ranked Mirra Andreeva before finally going out. 'Lois is an incredible player and for her to have the tournament she's had, she's shown she's one of the best players in the world,' Gauff said. 'I hope we have many more battles in the future, especially here, Today it was just my day. 'I knew 99% of the crowd would be for her. When they were chanting her name in my head I just chanted mine, to psyche myself up.' Sabalenka's powerful, deep returns meanwhile unsettled 24-year-old Swiatek at the start as she raced into a 3-0 lead with two breaks. The Belarusian thought she had served an ace for a 5-1 lead, only for a let call from umpire Kader Nouni, who felt it had flicked the net cord. The momentum suddenly shifted with Swiatek winning four successive games, before Sabalenka held and then produced a stunning forehand winner on the run to break for 6-5. She could not hold, though, with Swiatek's returns now doing considerable damage, but Sabalenka regrouped impressively to take the tie-break for the concession of just one point. The quality increased in the second set, so much so that any slight mistake from one player was brutally punished by the other. Polish star Swiatek was making far more forays to the net than usual, and it paid off when a perfect cushioned volley into the corner levelled the match. Sabalenka's levels - including her noise levels - moved up a notch again in the decider and the 27-year-old drew first blood with a break for 2-0. A second break knocked the stuffing out of the defending champion, who looked resigned to her fate long before Sabalenka's final backhand winner flew past her. Swiatek, now without a single title to her name - her last was Roland Garros 12 months ago - said: ' I love playing here, so for sure I'm happy that I was fortunate enough to play so many great tournaments here. 'Even this one, you know, I feel like I played better than in the weeks before. I'm just happy that I have this place to come back to every year and just try to push myself.' The other semi-final was one of enormous contrasts, Boisson's career earnings before this tournament totalled around $135,000 while Gauff - a year younger - has amassed some $24 million. However, Boisson will at least be $780,000 better off after her fortnight's work in the French capital. She can also console herself with a climb in the rankings of 296 places to 65 - she has gone from French number 24 to number one - and a likely wildcard for Wimbledon. Gauff, the French Open runner-up in 2022, opened up a 4-0 lead before most of the Court Philippe-Chatrier patrons had retaken their seats - presumably they had been for a boisson or two - following Sabalenka's three-set win over Swiatek. The heavy topspin forehands which previously accounted for five players were not firing, and even when she got a break back at the start of the second set, Gauff quickly snuffed out the mini French revolution. Victory was sealed in an hour and nine minutes to break French hearts while Gauff will get a second chance at glory in Paris on Saturday. Boisson was due to make her Roland Garros debut last year but suffered an ACL injury just before the tournament which left her fearing her career could be over. 'We know that particular injury is very complicated, but at the beginning, yes, I kind of lost faith because I didn't know what was to come next, and I didn't know that things could go so well,' she said. 'I was really worried at one point, but as the rehabilitation progressed, I realised that things are getting better. Today I'm super happy with what's happening.'
