Alcaraz returns to French Open final after ailing Musetti retires
Tennis - French Open - Roland Garros, Paris, France - June 6, 2025 Italy's Lorenzo Musetti shakes hands with Spain's Carlos Alcaraz as he walks off the court after retiring from the semi final match REUTERS/Lisi Niesner
PARIS - Defending champion Carlos Alcaraz reached back-to-back French Open finals after Italian eighth seed Lorenzo Musetti retired with injury while trailing 4-6 7-6(3) 6-0 2-0 on Friday.
Alcaraz, 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 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% in the final."
Alcaraz said he would tune into the second semi-final 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." REUTERS
Join ST's Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Straits Times
20 minutes ago
- Straits Times
‘Honoured' Novak Djokovic hints at possible Roland Garros farewell after semi-final loss
PARIS – Novak Djokovic suggested he may well have bidden adieu to Roland Garros after the 38-year-old was defeated in the semi-finals by Jannik Sinner on June 6. Following his 6-4, 7-5, 7-6 (7-3) loss to world No. 1 Sinner, the Serb stopped briefly on his way off Court Philippe Chatrier and took a moment to 'show his gratitude' to the Paris crowd. 'This could have been the last match ever I played here... That's why I was a bit more emotional even in the end,' said three-time champion Djokovic. 'But if this was the farewell match of Roland Garros for me in my career, it was a wonderful one in terms of the atmosphere and what I got from the crowd. 'Not the happiest because of the loss, but I tried to show my gratitude to the crowd.' Djokovic has on occasion had a fraught relationship with the Parisian public, but hailed the backing he received against Sinner. 'I don't think I have ever received this much support in this stadium in my career in big matches against the best players in the world. So very, very honoured to experience that,' he added. However, the Serb allayed fears he would be calling time on his career just yet. He stills stands on the brink of history after his latest tilt at a record-breaking 25th Grand Slam title was foiled. One more Major victory would take him beyond Margaret Court and into outright-first on the list of players with the most Grand Slams. 'At the moment I will try to stick with the plan what I had, which is play the Grand Slams,' he said. 'Those tournaments are the priorities of my schedule, my calendar. Wimbledon and US Open, yes, they are in plans. That's all I can say right now. Those two, for sure. For the rest, I'm not so sure.' Despite the latest setback, Djokovic insisted he still has the record in his sights and hoped it will be seventh time lucky when Wimbledon starts on June 30. 'I'm going to do everything possible to get myself ready,' he said. 'I guess my best chances (of winning) maybe are Wimbledon, you know, to win another Slam, or faster hard court, maybe Australia or something like that.' Djokovic has won the title at Wimbledon seven times and is the the most dominant men's player in the history of the Australian Open with 10 victories in Melbourne. When asked how long he had been considering his future at Roland Garros, Djokovic cryptically replied: 'Not long. I don't know. I don't know really what tomorrow brings in a way at this point in my career.' AFP Join ST's Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you.
Straits Times
21 minutes ago
- Straits Times
Watkins out of England's games against Andorra, Senegal with injury
FILE PHOTO: Soccer Football - Premier League - Aston Villa v Tottenham Hotspur - Villa Park, Birmingham, Britain - May 16, 2025 Aston Villa's Ollie Watkins during the warm up before the match. Action Images via Reuters/Andrew Boyers/File photo REUTERS Watkins out of England's games against Andorra, Senegal with injury England striker Ollie Watkins will miss the side's matches against Andorra and Senegal after withdrawing due to a minor injury, the England team said. The 29-year-old, who scored 17 goals and provided 14 assists in 54 appearances in all competitions for Aston Villa in the recently concluded season, has been capped 18 times for England, netting five times. With Watkins' withdrawal, captain Harry Kane and Ivan Toney remain England manager Thomas Tuchel's striker options for their two upcoming games. England play Andorra in a 2026 World Cup qualifier in Spain on Saturday before hosting Senegal for a friendly match on Tuesday. REUTERS Join ST's Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you.
Straits Times
an hour ago
- Straits Times
Arise, Sir David Beckham: The football star will be knighted
While David Beckham's honour has been widely reported in the British news media, it is not expected to be formally announced until next week. PHOTO: REUTERS NEW YORK – It was perhaps the biggest moment of David Beckham's decorated football career. England needed to score against Greece in 2001 to qualify for the World Cup, and he stood over a free kick with little time left. He duly bent the ball into the net, setting off paroxysms of joy throughout England. Announcer Gary Bloom spoke for the nation when he shouted: 'Give that man a knighthood!' It took 24 years, but now he is getting one. How do you get a knighthood? In the modern age, knighthoods are conferred by the British royal family upon citizens who have achieved great success in their fields and served their country in one way or another. 'Recipients range from actors to scientists, and from school head teachers to industrialists,' the royal family's website says. It might now add 'impossibly handsome and famous ex-football stars'. Those conferred with a knighthood get the title 'Sir'. Let's hear the credentials of Beckham, er, Sir David. Beckham, 50, was a brilliant football player, most memorably for Manchester United and England's national team. His famous right foot had the uncanny ability to curl balls through the air and into the net, inspiring the title of the 2002 film 'Bend it Like Beckham'. His post-football career has included co-ownership of Inter Miami, a Major League Soccer team. He has been a UNICEF ambassador, and his charisma helped London secure hosting duties for the 2012 Summer Olympics. In 2003, he was appointed Officer of the Order of the British Empire, or OBE, a common starter title on the path to knighthood. Who else bears the exalted title of knight? A few thousand folks, some of whom you have probably heard of. A sampling: Formula One driver Lewis Hamilton; tennis player Andy Murray; actors Michael Caine and Anthony Hopkins, singers Elton John and Mick Jagger; and former Prime Ministers Tony Blair and John Major. What happens at the knighthood ceremony? Beckham will kneel on his right knee on a knighting-stool before King Charles III, who will lay the blade of a sword on Beckham's right shoulder, followed by his left. You would hope that the king would then say: 'Arise, Sir Beckham.' But disappointingly, the royal family says on its website that those words 'are not used' in the ceremony. While Beckham's honour has been widely reported in the British news media, it is not expected to be formally announced until next week. The ceremony is expected in the following weeks or months. Isn't Beckham chummy with the royals? Yes. Princes William and Harry, the sons of the king and both big sports fans, have hung out with Beckham, who attended their weddings. He has done charity work with King Charles as well. Beckham waited in line with the general public for 12 hours to pay his respects when Queen Elizabeth II's coffin lay in state at Westminster Hall in 2022. Still, e-mails from 2013 leaked to the British news media showed that Beckham had grown frustrated with his wait for a knighthood. So I guess he's going to sit at the roundtable with Lancelot now. Knighthoods, which date to the Roman era in Britain, are most closely associated with the Middle Ages, when knights were trained in battle and protected the sovereign. (The royal family notes that a knighthood currently 'carries no military obligations to the sovereign'.) The quasi-mythical King Arthur had his famous crew of Bedivere, Galahad and Gawain. But in modern times, knights participate in significantly less questing. More important: What does this mean for Posh? Beckham's wife, Victoria, the pop singer and fashion designer perhaps best known as Posh Spice of the Spice Girls, will also get a title and will henceforth be known as Lady Beckham. She, too, has an OBE, for 'services to the fashion industry'. No word on future titles for Scary, Ginger, Sporty or Baby Spice. NYTIMES Join ST's Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you.
