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 thus far, 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 in a position to 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 manner within the quarterfinals of the French Open tennis championship, and Alcaraz overcame Tsitsipas in simply over two hours in two straight units and a decent set. The scenario 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 manner in opposition to on the courtroom in my profession, perhaps one or two individuals may do this in opposition to me.” – Tsitsipas, who now has a report 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 dealing with a top quality of hitting that I do not get in opposition to different opponents. They’re amazingly deep, he spins rather a lot, and I simply had no reply to his recreation. In a way, he got here at me with power, however on the similar time he was very affected person and used his power in a constructive manner.”
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, continually holding the Greek underneath stress 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 was subsequently superior to his opponent in all parts of the sport, and Tsitsipas didn’t skimp on the reward:
“Carlos is a really quick man, he returns a number of balls that I would not get again in opposition to others. He can preserve the ball underneath management in an distinctive manner and might change sides all of the sudden.
His enjoying jogs my memory of Novak in a manner.
“The best way he constructions the ball periods and the way in which he colours his recreation with distinctive options and tactical parts, he merely has a solution for all the things. Carlos is a really good 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, taking a look at 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 likewise 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 sector, all whereas Tsitsipas didn’t play badly in any respect. His self-confidence may additionally have been elevated by the truth that he has additionally carried out properly at Garros thus far – 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 need to lie, I got here right here stuffed with self-confidence and I felt that I might need an opportunity for an important success. This sense acquired 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, perhaps that has backfired now.
Attributable to Novak Djokovic’s withdrawal, just one quarterfinal will probably be performed on the eleventh day of Roland Garros, the place Alexander Zverev will face Alex De Minaur. The semi-finals will probably be held on Friday, when Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz will battle once more for traditional standing.
