Alcaraz tackles Tsitsipas at French Open as Swiatek targets semis

 

Carlos Alcaraz and Stefanos Tsitsipas square off Tuesday in a repeat of their French Open quarter-final from last year, while Iga Swiatek looks to stay on track for a third consecutive Roland Garros title.

Alcaraz appears to be moving through the gears in Paris after an injury-hit preparation, taking care of 21st seed Felix Auger-Aliassime with minimal fuss to make the last eight here for the third year on the trot.

Next up is an opponent he has dominated in his young career, winning all five previous encounters with Tsitsipas. Three of those have come on clay, including Alcaraz’s straight-sets win in the 2023 French Open quarter-finals.

“I’m really looking forward to playing this match. I love this challenge and these kind of matches,” said the 21-year-old Spaniard, attempting to add to his Wimbledon title from a year ago and the 2022 US Open.

“I have seen a lot of matches from Stefanos lately. He has a lot of confidence right now and is playing great tennis. I think I have the key against him so I will try to make him in trouble.”

Tsitsipas found himself in danger of falling two sets behind against Italy’s Matteo Arnaldi in the last 16, saving four set points before swinging the match in his favour.

The Greek ninth seed, who lost the 2021 French Open final in five sets to Novak Djokovic, hopes to put a stop to Alcaraz’s dominance.

“He has said in the past he likes playing against me, so I hope he gets to like it a little bit less this time,” said Tsitsipas.

Jannik Sinner dropped his first set of the tournament against Corentin Moutet, but the second seed quickly righted the ship to ease into a seventh Grand Slam quarter-final.

It is the first time he has made the last eight at Roland Garros since the pandemic-delayed 2020 edition, when he was beaten by Rafael Nadal in a match that finished at 1:26am.

That had stood as the record for the latest ending at the French Open prior to Djokovic’s 3:07am conclusion against Lorenzo Musetti in the early hours of Sunday.

Sinner next plays Grigor Dimitrov, the 10th seed from Bulgaria who is set for his first Roland Garros quarter-final on his 14th visit.

“I always wanted to get to that second week. Roland Garros was the only Slam where I felt that I could not get that extra step. But… 15 years later, I made it, so I’m very happy with that,” said Dimitrov.

Swiatek motored into the last eight after blowing Anastasia Potapova aside 6-0, 6-0 in 40 minutes, the quickest match of the 23-year-old Pole’s career.

“That’s just her world like these bagels. This is something about Iga. Just leave it for her,” said Aryna Sabalenka, who looks to be Swiatek’s chief challenger for the title.

World number one Swiatek takes on Wimbledon champion Marketa Vondrousova seeking to extend her winning run in Paris to 19 matches.

US Open champion and third seed Coco Gauff has breezed through to the second week untested but should get a tougher challenge from three-time Grand Slam finalist Ons Jabeur.

Jabeur, the eighth seed from Tunisia, had won multiple matches at just one event this season — progressing to the quarters in Madrid — before arriving in the French capital.

“Here in Roland Garros I’m going uphill. That’s really good,” said Jabeur, who was beaten in straight sets by Gauff in the last 16 of the French Open in 2021.

mw/jc

AFP

(NAMPA / AFP)