Roland-Garros: Zverev reaches semi-finals, eliminating rising star Alcaraz !

Alexander Zverev edged out Carlos Alcaraz 6-4, 6-4, 4-6, 7-6 [7] on Tuesday and will face the winner of the next match between Serb Novak Djokovic, the top seed, and Spaniard Rafael Nadal, the No 5 seed, in the next round.

31 May 2022

Alexander Zverev in action at Roland Garros 2022 (AI / Reuters / Panoramic)

Tennis Majors

German Alexander Zverev, the No 3 seed, edged out Spaniard Carlos Alcaraz, the No 6 seed, 6-4, 6-4, 4-6, 7-6 (7) to reach the semi-finals of Roland-Garros in Paris on Tuesday. The victory marks Zverev’s first win over a top-ten ranked opponent in a Grand Slam.

Zverev, currently ranked world No 3, will play the winner of the much-anticipated quarter-final between world No 1 Novak Djokovic and 13-time Roland Garros champion Rafael Nadal.

This is Zverev’s second semi-final appearance at Roland Garros. Early on in the tournament, Zverev saved a match point, and has since proceeded with the carefree mindset of a lucky survivor. On his path to the semi-finals, the 25-year-old German defeated Austrian qualifier Sebastian Ofner 6-2, 6-4, 6-4, Argentinian Sebastian Baez 2-6, 4-6, 6-1, 6-2, 7-5, American Brandon Nakashima 7-6 (2), 6-3, 7-6 (5), and Spaniard qualifier Bernabe Zapata Miralles 7-6 (11), 7-5, 6-3.

Alcaraz won’t win Roland-Garros before 20

The19-year-old Alcaraz will not complete the incredible feat of following his Madrid Open title with a win at Roland Garros before the age of 20, as Nadal did in 2005. Earlier in the tournament, he beat Argentinian lucky loser Juan Ignacio Londero 6-4, 6-2, 6-0, Albert Ramos Vinolas 6-1, 6-7 (7), 5-7, 7-6 (2), 6-4, American Sebastian Korda, the No 27 seed, 6-4, 6-4, 6-2, and Russian Karen Khachanov, the No 21 seed, 6-1, 6-4, 6-4.

Despite the loss to Zverev, Alcaraz has demonstrated an outstanding 2022 season so far, winning the ATP 500 Rio Open, the ATP 1000 Miami Open, the ATP 500 Barcelona Open, and the ATP 1000 Madrid Open. It is the second time Alcaraz has lost in the quarter-finals of a Grand Slam. At the 2021 US Open 2021, the Spaniard withdrew from his match with Canadian Felix Auger Aliassime at 3-6, 1-3 due to injury.