The top poster between Stefanos Tsitsipas, the number five in the world and finalist at Roland Garros in 2021, and the Spanish number one Carlos Alcaraz was never really a match, Alcaraz was much too strong for that. In the third set, the spectators then did the Mexican wave.
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Alcaraz was obviously the favourite, but no one could have predicted that he would dominate Tsitsipas so much. The 20-year-old Spaniard broke Tsitsipas’ services like they were butterfly wings.
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Alcaraz played at a high level, made few mistakes and drove Tsitsipas to despair.
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But at the end of the third set, when he was allowed to serve for the match, Alcaraz’s machine sputtered and Tsitsipas came to life for a moment. Tsitispas managed to break through Alcaraz’s service for the first time and came back from 5-2 to 6-6. But Alcaraz recovered just in time to finish the match in the tiebreak of the third set. In the end, the Spaniard and the Greek were on track for 2h12.
Djokovic with false start
Novak Djokovic, Alcaraz’s upcoming opponent, had more trouble with Karen Khachanov. He actually lost the first set 4-6. A new loss set seemed to be in the works for a while, but after a stunningly strong tiebreak Absent to pull the second set: 7-6. At Khachanov, the spring was broken afterwards. After a 6-2 and a 6-4, Djokovic won in four sets. The Serbian has already won Roland Garros twice, earlier this season he already won the Australian Open.
Flipkens pupil pushes through
Among the women, Muchova, who is coached by Kirsten Flipkens, beat the Russian Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova (WTA 333), the losing finalist of 2021, in her quarterfinals in two sets: 7-5 and 6-2 after 1 hour and 38 minutes. In the eighth finals, Pavlyuchenkova had knocked our compatriot Elise Mertens out of the tournament.
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For 26-year-old Muchova it is the first semifinal ever at Roland Garros, where she had never even reached the last eight before. In 2021 she already reached the semi-finals at the Australian Open. Then she lost to the American Jennifer Brady. With Seoul 2019, there is one WTA title on her honors list.
Sabalenka klopt Svitolina
In the semifinals, Aryna Sabalenka (WTA 2) awaits Muchova. The Belarusian second seed made it to the quarter-finals in a charged duel in two sets against the Ukrainian Elina Svitolina (WTA 192): twice 6-4 after 1 hour and 36 minutes.
As a Ukrainian, Svitolina is very committed to the war in her country. In interviews, she constantly draws attention to the struggle in Ukraine. After knocking out Russia’s Anna Blinkova in the third round, she refused to shake hands with her opponent. That maneuver was prompted by guidelines from Ukrainian government circles, who fear that photos of such a moment would be used as a means of propaganda. The Belarusian Sabalenka also did not get a hand from Svitolina on Tuesday. After all, Belarus is Moscow’s closest ally.
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Sabalenka, who won her first grand slam tournament at the beginning of this year with the Australian Open, has never reached the semi-finals on the Parisian clay court before. Svitolina, former number three in the world in women’s tennis, equaled her best result ever on the Paris clay court with a quarterfinal. In 2015, 2017 and 2020, the quarter-finals were always the end station.
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2023-06-06 20:43:51
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