Carlos Alcaraz21 years and 33 days old, has made history for Spanish tennis by becoming this Friday the twelfth member of the men’s ‘Armada’ capable of sneaking into the final of Roland Garros. His childhood dream is one victory away from coming true and all thanks to his performance in the semifinal against Jannik Sinner and who finished with a 2-6, 6-3, 3-6, 6-4 and 6-3, in 4 hours and 9 minutes.
The tennis player, who breaks records for precocity wherever he goes, He is the youngest professional to compete in Grand Slam finals on three different surfaces: hard, dirt and grass.. Glory awaits this Sunday against the winner of the cross between Alexander Zverev y Casper Ruud.
Sinner started better, more inside and less nervous. The situation was reminiscent of the semifinal of the Indian Wells Masters 1000where the Italian’s winning streak this season came to an end against the same opponent.
Jannik then won the first set 6-1. Alcaraz gave up the first two service turns this Friday. The first with a right hand in the middle of the court that did not pass the net. The score, in the blink of an eye, was 4-0 in 16 minutes.
The Murcian could not find the rhythm in the Philippe Chatrier center. The stands applauded him because they wanted to see an exciting match between the new ‘Big Two’ of the racket.
Juan Carlos Ferrero’s pupil took 21 minutes to open his locker. The 4-1 score seemed impossible to overcome, but Carlitos got to work. A bitten backhand from Sinner meant the first of the double major champion’s breaks.
What happens is that later, he wasted a 40-15 to make it 4-3. He lost his third serve of four made. Too many to have a chance of scoring the initial heat.
With the score against us it was time to react. Alcaraz suffered with every serve. The San Candido tennis player was very comfortable from the return, waiting for the error to come from the other side of the net.
Of the first five serves, he had given up four. In the box, the presence of Gustavo Kuerten, the musketeer who reigned in 1997 and 2001, executioner of Sergi Bruguera and Álex Corretja, stood out..
With 2-1 down in the second act, they enjoyed a 0-40. The first option escaped him. Not the second, with a trademark right cross.
The problems continued to add games to the service. At one hour and seven minutes they were ahead for the first time, both in the result (3-2) and in the feelings of the match..
He confirmed it immediately afterwards with the third break, second in a row: 4-2. The El Palmar player shouted and it could be heard throughout the Bois de Boulogne.
Five consecutive games
Alcaraz: “I don’t think about records, but I know they mean I’m doing well”
The high balls choked the Italian. The tactics drawn by Ferrero on the board were working and the five games in a row were a reality: 5-2.
The tie was already a fact. Everything started from scratch. It was like starting a duel with the best of three sets.
Now any detail could tip the balance. Alcaraz scored first with his fourth break to make it 2-1. It could have been a turning point, but it wasn’t because the young Spaniard delivered his serve for the fifth time.
If Sinner had been a doubt in the tournament due to hip pain, it did not seem like it. She ran from one place to another as if nothing had happened. He rose 15-40 and two leads in the fifth game despite the fact that his statistics already included seven double faults.
Jannik was hurting his right arm and was treated by the physiotherapist. The pain passed quickly because he would achieve his sixth break. The score shot up to 4-2 for the tennis player from San Cándido.
Carlitos’ shots bounced in the middle of the court and facilitated his opponent’s attacks. It was at that moment when he informed his team that he was noticing cramps in his legs. Sinner seemed physically touched with cramps in his right leg. Yours would be the tercet set.
Equality presided over the fourth round until the tennis player from El Palmar A parallel backhand and a crossed backhand were invented to take the outcome to the fifth round. And the best thing is that he would start serving in the tiebreaker.
World number three had decided in his favor nine of the 10 matches played in five sets. He only failed in the third round of the 2022 Australian Open with Matteo Berrettini.
It started with a 3-0. He played the ball cleanly. He was in champion mode. On one of the Philippe Chatrier stands you can read in capital letters: victory belongs to the most tenacious. This time it was Alcaraz.
