Alcaraz takes care of Tsitsipas, earns place in Roland-Garros semi-finals against Djokovic

Carlos Alcaraz made quick work of Stefanos Tsitsipas in the French Open quarter-finals on Wednesday. Alcaraz will battle Novak Djokovic for a place in the title match.

Carlos Alcaraz, Roland-Garros 2022 | © AI / Reuters / Panoramic

Ricky Dimon

June 6, 2023

French Open •Quarter-final • completed

See draw

C. AlcarazvsS. Tsitsipas

As was predicted when the draw ceremony was conducted almost two weeks ago, it will be Carlos Alcaraz versus Novak Djokovic in the Roland-Garros semi-finals.

Stefanos Tsitsipas was the last man who could have prevented that blockbuster battle from becoming a reality, but he did not even come close in Wednesday’s second quarter-final contest. Alcaraz gave the Greek a 6-2, 6-1, 7-6 (5) shellacking that required only two hours and 13 minutes.

The @carlosalcaraz show continues 🎭

He gets past Tsitsipas 6-2, 6-1, 7-6(5) to set up blockbuster matchup with Djokovic in the semifinals!#RolandGarros pic.twitter.com/3EYN6bbVYE
— Tennis Channel (@TennisChannel) June 6, 2023

“I think my level is getting better every time that I’m winning,” assessed the 20-year-old, who has dropped only one set this fortnight (to Taro Daniel in round two. “I think today was such a great level. I played really, really well. I would say (it was) one of my best matches of my career.”

“I don’t have a lot of things to tell you,” Tsitsipas said during his press conference. “He played great.”

Djokovic awaits Alcaraz in semi-finals

The only previous encounter between Alcaraz and Djokovic came in the semi-finals of the 2022 Mutua Madrid Open, with the Spaniard prevailing 6-7 (5), 7-5, 7-6 (5).

This is just the second time all season long that they have found themselves in the same draw. The only other occasion came at the Rome Masters, where Alcaraz lost right away to Fabian Marozsan and Djokovic fell in the quarter-finals to Holger Rune.

Neither man had much trouble navigating his way through the French Open draw to make this mouthwatering matchup a reality.

Alcaraz previously defeated Italian qualifier Flavio Cobolli (6-0, 6-2, 7-5), Japanese Taro Daniel (6-1, 3-6, 6-1, 6-2), Canadian Denis Shapovalov, the No 26 seed (6-1, 6-4, 6-2) and Italian Lorenzo Musetti, the No 17 seed (6-3, 6-2, 6-2). Djokovic also beat Aleksandar Kovacevic (6-3, 6-2, 7-6 (1)), Hungarian Marton Fucsovics (7-6 (2), 6-0, 6-3), Spaniard Alejandro Davidovich Fokina, the No 29 seed (7-6 (4), 7-6 (5), 6-2) and Peruvian Juan Pablo Varillas (6-3, 6-2, 6-2).