Roland Garros will have its dream end: the current champion Carlos Alcaraz (2nd) He fulfilled and traced this Friday against a Lorenzo Musetti (7th) who retired injured to cited with Jannik Sinner (1st), implacable to the legend Novak Djokovic (6th), that ‘died’ with the boots put by offering worthy resistance.
“I know it will be difficult against Carlos, my statistics are not good against him, we’ll see what I am able to do,” Sinner acknowledged before the microphone of Álex Corretja on the Philippe Chatrier track about his Spanish ‘archneemigo’, before which he has lost the last four duels.
“It will be a very complicated final, where there will be good and bad moments, where you have to know how to deal with all kinds of situations. I will try to do my best and especially not be afraid to go for it,” Alcaraz said at a press conference before meeting his rival.
Musetti did not give the physicist
In the first semifinal Musetti retired due to injury in the left thigh when he lost 4-6, 7-6 (7/3), 6-0 and 2-0 after two hours and 25 minutes.
“There is only one step left. I am very good, I have the feeling of playing well,” Alcaraz said from the same track as soon as he finished the game, “although it was not as he wanted to win.”
Alcaraz requested applause for his rival, who retired in tears, after having put the strings to number 2 for two hours.
It was a good maturity test for the current champion before a tennis player of his generation (22 years against 23 the Italian): he endured the storm and bathed until he found the key in a triumph that accelerated by Musetti’s injury.
To have left between an Alcaraz four times winner in Grand Slam and a musetti whose roof in a ‘big’ are the semifinals -before Wimbledon 2024 -, the first had to offer its most land version and the second touch perfection.
It was what happened for two hours: under the retractable roof of the Chatrier, extended by a rain forecast that was not fulfilled, the first set had been a closed pulse that was defined by the total effectiveness of Musetti.
With the Italian keeping its 100% effectiveness (3/3 in break balls) the second set was defined in a sudden death in which Alcaraz finally took a step forward.
With some delay but the number two had plugged into the semifinal: the consistency improved, refined the cuts and turned his right into a hammer to sacrifice a musetti topped by his injury.
Novak, Novak!
In the second semifinal Sinner battled three and a quarter to beat a Djokovic who sold his old skin face: 6-4, 7-5 and 7-6 (7/3).
The Italian showed a higher level, capable of reaching all the balls against a Djokovic who tried everything and ended up applauding his current heir as king of the circuit.
Sinner, that a set has not been left in the six games he has played in the Parisian fortnight, touched perfection against an impotent Djokovic who left the Philippe Chatrier cheered by the battle he gave before a rival 15 years younger.
Malquerido too many times during his career, he listened to listening to the Central de Roland Garros in unison: “Novak, Novak!”
But neither with those was able to find the ‘break’ of hope before an immutable, robotic synner in excellence before an increasingly ignition audience as Friday night fell and enjoyed the resistance of the myth.
