2023-06-09 16:41:42
Novak Djokovic is in the final of the Tennis French Open in Paris for the seventh time following beating Carlos Alcaraz 6: 3.5: 7.6: 1.6: 1. The long-awaited duel of generations in the semifinals turned into a one-sided affair following the 20-year-old Alcaraz only wrote one game in the third set following cramps. The 36-year-old Djokovic is reaching for his third title with the clay court major on Sunday. There he meets Alexander Zverev (GER) or Casper Ruud (NOR).
It might be a historic day. With his 23rd Grand Slam victory, Djokovic can become the sole record holder for major titles and, appropriately, knock the Spaniard Alcaraz back from the tennis throne. The Serb would then also be the first player ever to have won all four majors – Australian Open, French Open, Wimbledon and US Open – at least three times.
Alcaraz endured a major sporting tragedy on the hottest day of the tournament. At the beginning of the third set, just when the game had become top-class, the young star began to cramp – first in his arm, later in his right leg. He voluntarily gave up his service game when the score was 1-1 in order to be treated. Alcaraz gritted his teeth, but might only move to a very limited extent and it quickly became clear that he would no longer have a chance of winning once morest the 16-year-old champion.
At least for the moment, Djokovic fended off the attack of the US Open champion, who had just turned 20. His significantly greater wealth of experience carried the Serb reliably through the match right from the start. Alcaraz only got stronger in the middle of the second set and also won the hoped-for intense rallies. Shortly following he had managed to equalize the set, however, his body no longer played along.
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