Defending champion Carlos Alcaraz made short work of an injury-hit Tommy Paul in Paris, stamping his ticket to a third straight French Open semifinal. The second-seeded Spaniard raced through the quarterfinal 6-0, 6-1, 6-4 on Tuesday, underlining his reputation as the player to beat on the clay.
Paul, hampered by thigh and abdominal muscle issues, arrived at Court Philippe Chatrier with heavy taping around his right leg. 'I've felt better, you know?' he said after the match. 'Pretty early on, it was obvious that I wasn't moving amazing.'
Meanwhile, Alcaraz seemed untouchable. He dropped just five games in two sets and closed out the decider with a confident flourish. 'Today was one of those days that you're feeling great. You feel like every shot is going to be in, every shot is going to be a winner,' he said. 'You play with a lot of confidence. No fear of anything.'
With this win, Alcaraz not only inches closer to a back-to-back title but also cements his status as a Roland-Garros stalwart. Next up, he'll prepare for a semifinal clash that promises to test his clay-court mastery.
Reference(s):
Alcaraz tops injured Paul in three sets to reach French Open last four
cgtn.com
