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Carlos Alcaraz and Stefanos Tsitsipas each crossed paths for the sixth time within the second quarter-final of Roland Garros on Tuesday.
Of the 5 conferences to this point, solely the very first, the third-round assembly on the US Open in 2021, was shut, as other than that five-set match, the Greek was solely capable of take a set in any respect from Alcaraz within the 2022 quarter-finals in Barcelona.
A 12 months in the past, they met in the identical approach within the quarterfinals of the French Open tennis championship, and Alcaraz overcame Tsitsipas in simply over two hours in two straight units and a good set. The state of affairs this 12 months was eerily just like a 12 months in the past, because the Spaniard maintained his immaculate steadiness in a match lasting 2 hours and quarter-hour within the ratio of 6:3, 7:6, 6:4 in opposition to Tsitsipas, who has among the finest clay outcomes of the 2024 season.
“I can rely on one hand what number of gamers I’ve felt this fashion in opposition to on the court docket in my profession, possibly one or two folks may try this in opposition to me.” – Tsitsipas, who now has a document of 0-6 in opposition to Alcaraz, started his evaluation after the match.
“After I play in opposition to Carlos, I really feel like I am going through a top quality of hitting that I do not get in opposition to different opponents. They’re amazingly deep, he spins loads, and I simply had no reply to his sport. In a approach, he got here at me with energy, however on the similar time he was very affected person and used his energy in a constructive approach.”
Stefanos Tsitsipas is Carlos Alcaraz
In Tuesday’s match, Alcaraz gained 74% of the factors behind the primary and second serve, which is taken into account good within the case of the previous, however excellent within the case of the latter. He additionally carried out properly as a receiver, successful 40% of the ball runs that began from Tsitsipas’s serves, always conserving the Greek below strain as a receiver. His 27 winners had been accompanied by 21 unforced errors, whereas Tsitsipas’s 26 winners had been accompanied by 33 errors.
The Spaniard due to this fact surpassed his opponent in each component of the sport, and Tsitsipas didn’t skimp on the reward:
“Carlos is a really quick man, he returns a variety of balls that I would not get again in opposition to others. He can maintain the ball below management in an distinctive approach and might change sides instantly.
His enjoying jogs my memory of Novak in a approach.
“The best way he buildings the ball classes and the way in which he colours his sport with distinctive options and tactical parts, he merely has a solution for all the pieces. Carlos is a really sensible man with a excessive tennis intelligence. I congratulate him on his victory!”
Carlos Alcaraz celebrates after the win.
Regardless of the one-sidedness of the joint steadiness, his kind this 12 months, Tsitsipas may rightly hope that he would have an opportunity to catch Alcaraz. Whereas the Spaniard arrived in Paris (Rome) with a quarterfinal in the one qualifying event, Tsitsipas gained the ATP 1000 event in Monte-Carlo, reached the finals in Barcelona, and in addition reached the quarterfinals in Rome.
In fact, the finals in Barcelona in 2022 may have been a warning signal for him, for instance, the place the Spaniard virtually washed him off the sphere, all whereas Tsitsipas didn’t play badly in any respect. His self-confidence may have been elevated by the truth that he has carried out properly at Garros to this point – however in opposition to Alcaraz, actuality confronted him:
“I had a extremely good feeling on the way in which to the event, one thing I’ve by no means felt earlier than or throughout any Garros. I do not wish to lie, I got here right here filled with self-confidence and I felt that I may need an opportunity for an important success. This sense bought stronger right here in Paris, particularly the victory in opposition to Arnaldi stuffed me with a brand new dose of self-confidence.”
Possibly I used to be a bit overconfident, possibly that has backfired now.
As a result of Novak Djokovic’s withdrawal, just one quarterfinal might be performed on the eleventh day of Roland Garros, the place Alexander Zverev will face Alex De Minaur. The semi-finals might be held on Friday, when Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz will battle once more for traditional standing.