Alcaraz battles into first Roland-Garros final with five-set win over Sinner

The ninth installment of the Jannik Sinner vs Carlos Alcaraz rivalry did not disappoint.

Friday’s semi-final showdown at Roland-Garros may not have been their highest-quality match, but it produced plenty of drama and at times some fantastic shot-making. In the end, it was Alcaraz who prevailed 2-6, 6-3, 3-6, 6-4, 6-3 after four hours and nine minutes in front of an enthralled crowd on Court Philippe-Chatrier.

The Spaniard is into the Roland-Garros final for the first time in his career and will go up against either Alexander Zverev or Casper Ruud on Sunday.

SINNER TAKES THE LEAD DESPITE CRAMPING ISSUES

Sinner twice led by a set, first when he took the opening frame of play with a whopping three breaks of his opponent’s serve. Alcaraz hit back in the second despite falling into an early 2-0 hole. The world No 3 reeled off five games in a row to get himself back in the match.

That set the stage for an interesting third set in which both players seemed to struggle physically. It invoked memories of Alcaraz’s cramping against Novak Djokovic in the third set of their 2023 semi-final — with the score also tied at one set apiece. This time around it was Sinner who seemed to be in worse shape, most notably plagued by a cramp in his right hand.

If anything, though, it forced the Italian to be more aggressive after he took the foot off the gas in set two. Despite his ailments, Sinner powered his way to breaks in fourth and sixth games to pretty much steal the third set from Alcaraz.

ALCARAZ ANSWERS IN THE FOURTH AND FIFTH SETS

Alcaraz consistently played his best when his back was against the wall in this match. Just as he did in the second set, the reigning Wimbledon champion responded with a brilliant display of tennis throughout the fourth. There wasn’t a single break point in the set until Sinner served at 4-5, when Alcaraz struck when it mattered most.

The fifth set was also decided by just a single game in which either man had a break chance. Alcaraz seized it for a quick 2-0 advantage and it proved to be the difference. However, consolidating it all the way until the finish line was not easy for the 21-year-old. He survived deuce games in each of his last three efforts on serve — at 3-1, 4-2 and 5-3. Alcaraz missed his first two match points before converting his third with a perfect down-the-line backhand that forced Sinner into a forehand error.

“I think it was a great match,” said Sinner, who will officially become No 1 in the world on Monday. “For sure the sets he won he played better on the important points. I think that was the key.”

ALCARAZ TAKES A 5-4 LEAD IN THE HEAD-TO-HEAD AGAINST SINNER

Alcaraz trailed the head-to-head series with his biggest rival 4-3 heading into this season, but he has now won two in a row (also in the Indian Wells semi-finals). As such, the score stands at 5-4 in Alcaraz’s favor (6-4 if you include a 2019 Challenger encounter).

“The toughest matches that I have played in my short career have been against Jannik,” the No 3 said during his on-court interview. “The US Open in 2022; ths one. That means [he is a great player]; the team that he has, as well; the great work he puts (in) every day. I hope to play many, many more matches like this one against Jannik.

“Yes, it was one of the toughest matches that I have played, for sure.

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