World No. 3 Carlos Alcaraz stormed past Britain’s fifth seed Jack Draper, securing a 6-4, 6-4 victory to book his spot in the Italian Open semifinals on Rome’s fabled red clay.
After a recent leg injury forced Alcaraz to skip Madrid, the Spaniard looked razor sharp. He saved six of eight break points, mixed lightning-fast drop shots with heavy groundstrokes, and surged ahead after overturning a 4-2 deficit in the opening set.
The match’s defining moment came in a marathon eighth game of the second set, which Draper nearly turned to his favor. But Alcaraz held firm, prevailing in a near 10-minute battle and then breaking to love to seal the win and maintain his unbeaten quarterfinal record at the Foro Italico.
“The most important thing that I did today was not thinking about the shots at all,” Alcaraz said. “I just tried to play aggressive, use drop shots, and go to the net—that’s what makes me happy on court.”
Next, the third seed will face fan favorite Lorenzo Musetti in a clash that promises more high-octane clay-court theatrics. Musetti, the tournament’s eighth seed, has been lighting up local crowds with his flair and spin-heavy arsenal.
Meanwhile, Norway’s sixth seed Casper Ruud bounced back from rain delays to beat Spain’s Jaume Munar 6-3, 6-4. Ruud broke early in both sets and never looked back—he now sets his sights on a heavyweight semifinal showdown with world No. 1 Jannik Sinner.
With titles and ranking points on the line, this year’s Italian Open semifinals are shaping up to be must-watch drama for tennis fans everywhere.
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Alcaraz sweeps past Draper to advance to semifinals at Italian Open
cgtn.com
