Alcaraz knocks down Tsitsipas and already looks like a ‘top ten’

It was announced as the early final. A duel that will be classic in the coming years. And it did not disappoint. Passion and great tennis. Battle of two champions. Carlos Alcaraz y Stefanos Tsitsipas did not disappoint the 8,000 fans who attended a spectacular duel under the lights of the central player Rafael Nadal, which even had arbitration controversy at the end before the young Murcian tennis player won 6-4, 5-7 and 6-2 to reach the semi-finals.

The ???? Rafa Nadal surrenders at the feet of @alcarazcarlo03 ! ????????????

⏱ 2h and 12 minutes of an exciting tennis match ????

➡️ Wait in the semifinals
???????? De Minaur#BCNOpenBS | @atptour | @ATPTour_ES pic.twitter.com/GnTNpauceb

– Barcelona Open Banc Sabadell (@bcnopenbs) April 22, 2022

An undeserved end to a spectacular game in which the Greek tennis player was sanctioned after going to the locker room with a 3-0 score in the third round. I only had three minutes and Tsitsipas it took one more and, according to the regulations, every 30 seconds of delay, they are punished with a point.

Tsitsipas he felt prepared “to beat him.” He had announced it when he arrived in Barcelona after learning that he was going to meet in the quarterfinals with alcaraz. She’s going to have to keep waiting. This Friday, under the spotlights of a central Rafael Nadaloverflowing as on great occasions, when the former world number 1 won one title after another, Alcaraz presented his candidacy to become the heir to Nadal.alcaraz added the third victory over Tsitsipas. The first on clay and against a tennis player who came with the strength of having won the Masters 1,000 in Monte Carlo, revalidating the Monegasque title, and who was looking for the ‘double’ in Barcelona, ​​after losing two finals against Nadal in 2018 and 2021, this last letting out a ‘match ball’.

Tsitsipas He stepped on the center convinced to end his streak. From the hand of a powerful serve and shooting to the lines he began a fight in which alcaraz he was not daunted. The Murcian tennis player also had powerful weapons with his serve, his forehand, legs that allowed him to reach any corner of the court and, in addition, a drop shot, Harry Potter magic, with which he would dismount Tsitsipas. I have a good dropshot and I knew he doesn’t run forward well,” he explained later.

alcaraz he made the first ‘break’ after half an hour of play (5-4) to take the set in the next game before some stands that exploded chanting his name “Carlos, Carlos!” and booed Tsitsipas when, at the last point, the Greek, deranged, fired a ball that grazed the body of alcaraz until he went out of the lines.

Alcaraz v Tsitsipas getting heated!???? pic.twitter.com/F4PmeehlPx

— Thomas Webb (@tdwebb23) April 22, 2022

The Murcian tennis player was launched and full of energy. Tsitsipas He couldn’t find a way to overwhelm the cyclone that was coming at him. alcaraz he made two ‘breaks’ (4-1) to take an advantage that seemed to lead him to victory. The euphoria of the public led him to play too wildly and to make mistakes that he had not made before against a Tsitsipas, touched but not sunk, that he was unwilling to surrender. The Greek tennis player managed to equalize the score to end up taking the second set.

The passion continued in the deciding set with controversy included when Tsitsipas He went to the locker room with a 3-0 deficit and when he returned he found himself penalized 0-30 on the scoreboard for exceeding the established time of the three minutes allowed. “How long has he been? After the game we will check and if you make a mistake you should be fired“, threatened the Greek with bad forms before getting back on track. Every 30 seconds cost him a point. “I had never seen anything like this. I think he did it to stop me but he hasn’t succeeded”, joked the disciple of John Charles Ferrero.

alcaraz He did not miss the opportunity to take a clear advantage and, despite the struggle of the Greek, ended up finishing off the game after two hours and 12 minutes. A victory that launches Alcaraz into the ‘top ten’ and the title at the Barcelona Open Banc Sabadell where this Saturday (not before 4:00 p.m.) he will face the Australian Alex DeMiñaur who defeated the British Cameron Norrie by 6-3, 5-7 and 6-1.

Before (1:30 p.m.), if the weather does not prevent it, they will face the Argentine Diego Schwartzman y Pablo Carrenoafter they beat the Canadian in the quarterfinals Felix Auger (6-3, 2-6, 6-3) and the Norwegian Casper Ruud (4-6, 7-5, 6-3 third and second seeded in the tournament respectively.

Carreno will be in the semifinals of the tournament for the third time after achieving it in 2018 and 2021. The Asturian tennis player achieved it after save three match balls down 5-4 in the second set and forced the third, after scoring the tie break in a battle in which he needed 7 set balls before beating Ruud in the final set, after 3 hours and 2 minutes to add 5 hours 44 minutes in the marathon double round of eighth and quarterfinals.

The Asturian tennis player (19 in the world) put an end to the bad luck that had followed him in the Masters 1,000 in Indian Wells and Miami, where he lost five ‘match balls’, three against Munar and five against the Italian Jannick Sinner. After the victory I was euphoric. “The public has carried me in wings. You play tennis for matches like these”, he said proudly and happily.

as happy as his friend Marc López who, before the match between Alcaraz and Tsitsipas, received a farewell tribute. The 39-year-old Catalan tennis player, a gold medalist at the Rio de Janeiro Olympics, has decided to end his career with his usual club, family, friends and fans. There was also a minute of silence for Manuel Santana, who died months ago, before the round of 16 match between Alcaraz and Munar.

Round of 16: Carlos Alcaraz beat Jaume Munar (6-3, 6-3), Stefanos Tsitsipas beat Grigor Dimitrov (6-1, 6-4) Felix Auger Aliassime who beat Frances Tiafoe (7-5, 6- 4), Pablo Carreño to Lorenzo Sonego (6-2, 5-7, 6-2), Casper Ruud to Emil Ruusuvuori (6-2, 6-2), Diego Schwartman to Lorenzo Musetti (6-4, 7-5 ), Cameron Norrie to Marton Fucsovics (7-5, 6-7, 6-4) and Alex DeMiñaur to Lloyd Harris (6-0 and retired).

Quarter finals: Alcaraz to Tsitsipas (6-4, 5-7, 6-2), Schwarzman to Auger Aliassime (3-6, 6-2, 6-3), Carreño to Ruud (4-6, 7-6 (11), 6-3), DeMiñaur to Norrie (6-3, 5-7, 6-1).