Tag: Carlos Alcaraz

Carlos Alcaraz beat incoming world number one Jannik Sinner 2-6, 6-3, 3-6, 6-4, 6-3 on Friday to reach the French Open final and continue his bid for a third Grand Slam title.

Alcaraz, 21, will play fourth seed Alexander Zverev or two-time Roland Garros runner-up Casper Ruud on Sunday after becoming the youngest man to reach Grand Slam finals on all three surfaces.

“It’s one of the toughest matches I’ve played for sure,” said Alcaraz.

“The toughest I’ve played in my short career have been against Jannik. I hope to play many, many more like this.”

“You have to find the joy in suffering,” the Spaniard added.

Alcaraz has won both of his two previous major finals — at Wimbledon last year and the 2022 US Open. Victory on Sunday would see him head to the Australian Open next January seeking a career Grand Slam.

Both Alcaraz and Sinner arrived in Paris under an injury cloud, gradually finding their best level over the course of the tournament to set up a meeting billed as the match “everybody wants to see”.

The ninth chapter of an enthralling rivalry destined to shape the future of the sport was the youngest Grand Slam semi-final pairing since Andy Murray beat Rafael Nadal at the 2008 US Open.

It was their first Grand Slam meeting since a spectacular five-set quarter-final two years ago in New York, and while perhaps not as exhilarating this one was no less gripping.

Carlos Alcaraz, who was hampered badly by cramp in last year’s semi-final loss to Novak Djokovic, had said that playing Jack Sinner was like running a marathon, and it was the Spaniard doing much of the chasing early.

Sinner pinned Alcaraz on the back foot straight away as he broke in the very first game, blending impenetrable defence with searing groundstrokes as he went on the attack.

After holding with ease the Australian Open champion belted a forehand winner for another break opportunity in the third game, sweeping 3-0 in front following an Alcaraz miscue.

Alcaraz finally got on the board in the fifth game before retrieving a break, but he handed it right back and Sinner bagged the first set when the Spaniard dumped a drop-shot into the net.

Jack Sinner began the second set in identical fashion, earning another break after a loose Carlos Alcaraz service game and consolidating for a 2-0 edge on a picture-perfect day in Paris.

Alcaraz belatedly spluttered into life though as Sinner struggled to maintain his sky-high standards from the opening set and presented his rival three break points with a double-fault.

A brilliant cross-court winner hauled Alcaraz back on serve, with the Spaniard soon accelerating 5-2 ahead following another break as Sinner sprayed his forehand wide.

Sinner temporarily slowed the Alcaraz charge, ending his five-game winning stretch, but the third seed levelled up the match the next game.

The early onslaught from Sinner felt a distant memory as Alcaraz pounced to break for a 2-1 lead in the third set, flicking a sublime backhand passing shot beyond a powerless Sinner.

Yet the momentum was quickly back with Sinner.

He ripped a blistering one-two combination of forehands to get back on serve and then resisted four break points in a lengthy fifth game before holding for 3-2.

Sinner received a massage from the physio for apparent cramp in his right forearm, but he brushed off any physical issue as he hammered a backhand return past Alcaraz to break again.

A tame Alcaraz forehand into the net handed Sinner the third set. A sense of calmness enveloped the fourth, with not a single break point on offer until a sizzling Alcaraz backhand brought about a set point.

He didn’t flinch and sent the match to a decider with a winner into the open court.

Alcaraz’s approach to grind Sinner down coupled with timely shotmaking allowed him to strike the critical blow in the second game of the fifth set.

Sinner, while visibly flagging more than his re-energised rival, did not go down without a fight, but Alcaraz finally put him away after four hours of another seismic showdown.

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Second seed Carlos Alcaraz extended his Madrid Open winning streak to a record-equalling 14 with a hard-fought victory over familiar foe Jan-Lennard Struff to move into the quarter-finals on Tuesday.

In a rematch of last year’s final at the Caja Magica, Alcaraz snapped Struff’s six-match winning streak with a 6-3, 6-7 (5/7), 7-6 (7/4) result to squeeze through to a last-eight clash with seventh seed Andrey Rublev.

Top-seeded Jannik Sinner has been dealing with a hip problem but managed to overcome Karen Khachanov 5-7, 6-3, 6-3 to reach his fourth Masters 1000 quarter-final in as many events this season.

Alcaraz, who missed Monte Carlo and Barcelona with a forearm injury, saved eight out of 10 break points and saw four match points come and go before he completed the two-hour 52-minute win.

“How much I’ve missed this! Quarters next,” wrote the former world number one on the camera lens after the match.

Carlos Alcaraz, who is now 24-0 on Spanish clay since the start of the 2022 season, is bidding to become the first player to win three consecutive Madrid titles.

After blowing a 2-0 lead in the second set, Alcaraz opened up a 3-1 advantage in the tiebreak, only to lose the next five points and go on to surrender the set to Struff, who came into the tournament on the back of a maiden ATP title run in Munich.

A break of serve in the fourth game of the decider gave Alcaraz the score cushion he needed but the two-time Grand Slam champion was broken while serving for the victory from 40-0 up at 5-3.

Struff saved four match points and the contest fittingly went to a deciding tiebreak. CarloAlcaraz let a 3-0 lead slip, but he got his hands on more match points by landing an inch-perfect lob and he closed on his fifth opportunity of the match.

“This match reminds me of last year’s. It was a great fight,” said Carlos Alcaraz after matching Rafael Nadal’s record winning streak in Madrid.

“It was difficult for me to deal with my emotions, to handle difficult moments. Serving for the match, it was really difficult for me to get broken after being 40-0 up, but I’m really happy that at the end it didn’t affect me and my mentality and I kept fighting.”

Sinner won 80 percent of points behind his first serve against Khachanov, hitting 35 winners to 29 unforced errors in the two-hour nine-minute battle.

The reigning Australian Open champion will face Casper Ruud or Felix Auger-Aliassime for a place in the Madrid Open semi-finals.

“For sure I’m not physically at 100 percent today. Tomorrow I have one day off, which can help me to get through,” said the Italian.

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Meanwhile, third seed Daniil Medvedev completed his full set of Masters 1000 quarter-finals reached by defeating Alexander Bublik 7-6(7/3), 6-4 to book a meeting with Rafael Nadal or Jiri Lehecka.

After grabbing the opening set tiebreak, Medvedev cruised to a 5-1 lead before Bublik halted his momentum and narrowed his deficit to just one game.

But Medvedev had a second chance to serve for the victory and this time he comfortably converted his first match point to make it to the last-eight stage or better at each of the nine Masters 1000 events.

On the women’s side, Iga Swiatek was made to sweat in her 4-6, 6-0, 6-2 victory over Brazilian lefty Beatriz Haddad Maia, as she dropped her first set of the tournament and needed two and a half hours to reach a second consecutive Madrid Open semi-final.

Swiatek squandered a 4-1 lead to lose the first set but the world number one struck back with a vengeance, cutting down on her errors to sweep the next eight games.

Haddad Maia stopped the rot to break Swiatek in the third game of the decider, but the Brazilian’s comeback attempt was short-lived.

Swiatek, 22, took four of the last five games to set up a last-four showdown with 2022 champion Ons Jabeur or American Madison Keys.

“I needed to stick to the tactics, because in the first set I started making too many mistakes. I started playing too fast,” said Swiatek.

“I just needed to really get back to basics and what I wanted to play today. It took me a while, longer than usual, but I’m glad that it happened after the set anyway.”

Swiatek has now reached the semi-finals at a WTA 1000 event for a 15th time –- the most by a player under the age of 23.

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World number one Novak Djokovic flew past Roman Safiullin in straight sets at the Monte Carlo Masters on Tuesday, after third seed Carlos Alcaraz announced his withdrawal from the event due to injury.

After receiving a bye in the first round, Djokovic was imperious on the main Rainier III court as he won 6-1, 6-2 against the unseeded Russian.

“I am very pleased… I think even the games that I lost I had break points in those games. It is a really great first match at the start of the clay season,” said Djokovic.

The Serb needed just one hour and 10 minutes to make a return to winning ways in his first match since a shock early exit at Indian Wells to Italian Luca Nardi.

The 36-year-old became the oldest world no.1 in the history of the ATP rankings when he took to the court in Monte Carlo, surpassing Roger Federer’s record.

“It is nice, it is great,” said the 24-time Grand Slam winner.

“I met (Rohan) Bopanna yesterday, who is the oldest doubles no.1 in history. He said we had a combined age of 80, but he does contribute to the 80 more than I do. But it is fun.”

But there was no sign of Djokovic feeling his age as he broke Safiullin’s serve twice to race into a 4-0 lead in the first set.

Novak Djokovic went on to break his opponent’s serve five times over the course of a routine win and now faces a third-round meeting with either Lorenzo Musetti or rising French starlet Arthur Fils.

Before Djokovic took to court, Alcaraz announced he was pulling out of Monte Carlo after failing to recover from an injury to his right forearm.

“I have been working in Monte Carlo and trying to recover until the last minute from an injured pronator teres (muscle) in my right arm, but it was not possible and I cannot play,” Alcaraz wrote on social media.

The 20-year-old Spaniard, whose last match came in the straight sets defeat by Grigor Dimitrov in Miami last month, was due to go straight into Wednesday’s second round in Monte Carlo against Canadian Felix Auger-Aliassime.

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He will be replaced in the draw by Italian Lorenzo Sonego, who was drafted in as a lucky loser, the ATP announced.

The match against Auger-Aliassime was set to be the two-time Grand Slam winner’s second ever appearance at Monte Carlo, following his withdrawal from the tournament last year and a three-set defeat in his only match of the 2022 edition.

Earlier in the day, American Sebastian Korda, the man responsible for that defeat in 2022, stormed past Alejandro Davidovich Fokina 6-1, 6-2 in the first round.

After a rain-hit morning causing a two-and-a-half-hour delay to the day’s play, world no.11 Alex de Minaur made up for lost time with a 62-minute straight sets win over Stan Wawrinka.

The 39-year-old wild card Wawrinka, formerly ranked no.3 in the world but now down to no.79, was no match in the first round for the Australian who prevailed 6-3, 6-0.

Wawrinka, the 2014 champion in Monte Carlo and a three-time Grand Slam winner, made 28 unforced errors to De Minaur’s 18 and landed just four winners to the 12 made by his opponent.

In the next round, De Minaur, who won this year’s title on the hard courts in Acapulco, will face Dutchman Tallon Griekspoor.

Spaniard Roberto Bautista Agut beat lucky loser Facundo Diaz Acosta 6-2, 6-4, while China’s Zhang Zhizhen won in three sets against Marcos Giron of the United States.

The 10th seed Hubert Hurkacz overcame Britain’s Jack Draper after nearly two and a half hours on court to reach the second round, winning 6-4, 3-6, 7-6 (7/2).

After winning a first title in two injury-hit years in Marrakesh on Sunday, Italian Matteo Berrettini’s run in Monte Carlo Masters was cut short by Miomir Kecmanovic 6-3, 6-1.

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Carlos Alcaraz slipped to a shock defeat on his return from injury on Tuesday at the Paris Masters while Alexander Zverev needed three sets to see off Marton Fucsovics. 

Spanish world number two Alcaraz, who was making his return to the court following injuries to his lower back and left foot, had been given a bye in the first round but had no answer to Russian qualifier Roman Safiullin who eased through 6-3, 6-4.

“He didn’t surprise me at all because I knew that he has been playing a great level these last few months, beating big guys, reaching finals,” said a disconsolate Alcarez.

“I knew that he was going to play a high level.”

Roman Safiullin, ranked 45 in the world, cancelled out an early Alcaraz break in the first set and then never looked back as he ran on to claim the opener 6-3.

The same scenario then played out in the second set, with Carlos Alcaraz breaking for an early lead only for his opponent to strike back immediately.

Having only announced he would play in the tournament last Wednesday, Alcaraz looked far from his sharpest.

“I just didn’t feel well, you know, on the court,” he said. “A lot of things to improve, a lot of things to practice.

“I think I didn’t move well. In the shots, I think I had a good quality of shots. But physically, in terms of movement, I have to improve a lot.”

However, much credit must go to Safiullin, who was relentless in getting over the line for a career-boosting win in what was his first meeting with Carlos Alcaraz.

The 26-year-old held his nerve under pressure from the Wimbledon champion to serve out for the win, despite facing several deuce points in the final game.

“Even if he’s not in the best shape it’s tough to beat him,” said Safiullin. “So, I’m really happy that I made it.”

The German 10th seed Alexander Zverev also had his difficulties, having to come back from a set down to beat Hungarian Fucsovics 4-6, 7-5, 6-4 in the round of 64 at Bercy Arena.

“It was just one or two points (that made the difference),” said Zverev.

“He was playing incredibly well and tactically I think he was unbelievable.

“His slice was effective as I did not know what to do on this surface here. It was a very difficult match, and I am happy to be through. I found my level and I am happy with that.”

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Alexander Zverev is still seeking to secure his place among the top eight who will go on to the ATP Finals in Turin next month.

After this victory, the 2021 champion sits seventh just behind Stefanos Tsitsipas and 430 points ahead of ninth-placed Hubert Hurkacz.

American Taylor Fritz’s chances of qualifying for the tour’s showpiece event took a hit when he was forced to retire with an abdominal injury.

On Monday, the ninth seed had comfortably beaten Argentine Sebastian Baez 6-1, 6-4.

Hometown favourite Gael Monfils was knocked out in the first round by Argentinian world number 21 Francisco Cerundolo in three sets on Tuesday.

The battling 37-year-old looked tired after losing the second set in a tie-break but rolled back the years with a break of serve right at the start of the third.

However, it was not enough as Cerundolo struck back in the eighth game of the set, before breaking the Frenchman’s serve again to take the decider 7-5.

The 11th-seeded Hurkacz saw off Sebastian Korda 6-3, 6-7 (6/8), 6-3 to book his place in the second round alongside Felix Auger-Aliassime, who toppled Jan-Lennard Struff in two sets.

Russian fifth seed Andrey Rublev completed the day’s play with a quickfire 6-4, 6-3 victory over Japanese qualifier Yoshihito Nishioka.

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Carlos Alcaraz powered into the semi-finals of the US Open on Wednesday as rival Daniil Medvedev battled through a brutal heatwave to join the Spaniard in the last four. 

Defending champion Alcaraz moved to within one win of a potential dream final with Novak Djokovic with an emphatic straight sets victory over German 12th Alexander Zverev.

Zverev had emerged as a dark horse after a marathon five-set win over Italy’s sixth seed Jannik Sinner on Monday.

But the German’s hopes of extending his stay in New York were obliterated by a devastatingly clinical performance from Alcaraz, who completed a 6-3, 6-2, 6-4 win in 2hr 30min on the Arthur Ashe Stadium court.

The victory leaves the 20-year-old Alcaraz firmly on course for another final showdown with 23-time Grand Slam champion Djokovic after their Wimbledon classic in July.

Djokovic faces unseeded American Ben Shelton in Friday’s other semi-final.

“I’m feeling really comfortable playing on this court, playing in New York,” said Alcaraz, who will face Russian third seed Medvedev in the semi-finals on Friday.

“I’m feeling strong. I think I’m ready for a great battle against Medvedev,” added Alcaraz, who has dropped just one set en route to the last four.

Medvedev had earlier secured his place in the semi-finals with a 6-4, 6-3, 6-4 victory over compatriot Andrey Rublev in punishing, furnace-like conditions that the Russian said endangered players.

New York has been sweltering in a heatwave this week, with high humidity and temperatures at Flushing Meadows on Wednesday hitting 35 degrees Celsius (95 Fahrenheit).

Tournament organisers confirmed that extreme heat measures were in effect for the quarter-final — but Medvedev was clearly unimpressed.

At one point during the third set, the 2021 US Open champion muttered to a nearby TV camera “one player is going to die and they’re going to see” as he grabbed a towel.

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CINCINNATI: Novak Djokovic needed five match points and nearly four hours to pull off a gritty victory over Carlos Alcaraz and claim a third ATP Cincinnati Open title on Sunday.

A titanic struggle between the world’s top two players saw Djokovic — who looked out on his feet in the second set — save a match point before coming through on his own fifth match point for a 5-7, 7-6 (9/7), 7-6 (7/4) triumph.

“It’s crazy, I don’t know what I can say,” said 23-time Grand Slam champion Djokovic, who was seen by the doctors early in the second set for heat illness in a battle that lasted three hours and 44 minutes.

“It’s tough to describe. It was the toughest I’ve ever played in my life.

“From start to finish we both went through highs, lows, incredible points, bad games, heatstroke, comebacks.

“Overall this was the toughest and most exciting match I’ve ever been a part of.

“It’s matches like these that I continue to work for.”

It was another epic chapter to the budding rivalry between 20-year-old top-ranked Alcaraz and the 36-year-old Serb star, who avenged his loss to the Spaniard in a five-set Wimbledon final last month.

The two — who have traded the number one ranking six times this year — are now level on two wins apiece in their head-to-head rivalry.

“I feel proud of myself, honestly. I don’t know why I was crying because I fight until the last ball,” Alcaraz said.

“I almost beat one of the greatest of all time in our sport. I left the court really happy with what I did.”

The 20-year-old unleashed everything he had at Djokovic and found it wasn’t enough.

“It was really, really difficult playing. Novak returns five, six, seven balls on every point,” Alcaraz said.

“So fighting and running from one corner to the other one on every point is really tough to deal with for almost the whole match.

“I left everything on court. I’m working very well. But today, it was tough to deal with everything that Novak had.”

Novak Djokovic, who earned a record-extending 39th victory at the elite Masters 1000 level, secured the first break of the opening set at love for a 4-2 lead.

Alcaraz broke back and broke again for a 6-5 lead then held to take the set before Djokovic left the court for a seven-minute change of clothes.

Novak Djokovic, clearly affected by the hot, muggy conditions, was visited by the trainer and doctor in the second set.

He was broken to trail 2-1, Alcaraz grabbing a 4-2 edge with a drop shot that Djokovic couldn’t touch.

But the 23-time Grand Slam winner broke Alcaraz to pull level 4-4 on the way to a tie-breaker.

Djokovic saved a match point at 5-6 and forced a third set when Alcaraz dumped a shot into the net on Djokovic’s second set point.

Novak Djokovic headed off to the locker room for another clothing change while Alcaraz pounded his right hand on his bench in frustration as he sat down.

The Spaniard — who then needed to have a finger taped up — was broken in a nine-minute seventh game that featured five break points.

The back-and-forth battle continued, Djokovic unable to convert serving for the match at 5-4 but putting it away two games later after the longest best-of-three set final in ATP Tour history.

A weary Djokovic dropped to the court in relief, then bounced up and ripped his shirt down the middle as he let out a roar of triumph or agony — or perhaps a bit of both.

“I was never in doubt that I could deliver the match when it mattered the most,” he said, adding that the rivalry with Alcaraz “is just getting better and better.”

“Carlos is an amazing player, I have tons of respect for him,” Djokovic said. “He is so poised at such a young age.”

Alcaraz will remain number one in the world and will be the top seed while defending his title at the US Open, which starts on August 28.

Novak Djokovic, who declined to be vaccinated against Covid-19, was playing his first US tournament in two years.

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Carlos Alcaraz defeated seven-time champion Novak Djokovic to claim his first Wimbledon title on Sunday, shattering the Serb’s dream of a record-equalling 24th Grand Slam crown.

World number one Carlos Alcaraz recovered from dropping the first set and saving a set point in the second to win 1-6, 7-6 (8/6), 6-1, 3-6, 6-4 after four hours and 42 minutes on Centre Court.

It was a second major for Carlos Alcaraz following his US Open title last year as he became Wimbledon’s third youngest men’s champion.

The result will also spark feverish speculation over the start of a generational shift, with 36-year-old Novak Djokovic carrying the torch of the ‘Big Three’ now that Roger Federer is retired and Rafael Nadal is sidelined, perhaps permanently.

Australian Open and French Open champion Djokovic had been bidding to equal Federer’s record of eight Wimbledon titles, match Margaret Court’s all-time mark of 24 Slams and become the All England Club’s oldest men’s champion.

When he won his first major at the Australian Open in 2008, Carlos Alcaraz was still three months shy of his fifth birthday.

“You inspire me a lot,” Alcaraz told Djokovic after becoming the third Spanish winner of the title, following in the footsteps of Manuel Santana in 1966 and Nadal in 2008 and 2010.

“I started playing tennis watching you. Since I was born you were already winning tournaments. It is amazing,” he added with a smile after firing 66 winners past the Serb, off-setting his 45 unforced errors.

“I fall in love with grass right now. It’s amazing.”

Nadal took to Twitter to salute Alcaraz, praising him for bringing “immense joy” to Spanish tennis and telling him to “enjoy the moment”.

Novak Djokovic was playing in his ninth final at Wimbledon and 35th at the majors, while for Carlos Alcaraz it was just a second in the Slams following his US Open triumph.

“What a quality at the end of the match when you had to serve it out,” said Djokovic, who had been chasing a fifth successive Wimbledon crown.

“You came up with some big plays in the big situation and you absolutely deserve it. Amazing.

“As for me, you never like to lose matches like these but I guess when all the emotions are settled I’ll have to be very grateful.”

The Serb, who was on a 34-match winning streak at Wimbledon, went into the final not having lost on Centre Court since his 2013 defeat to Andy Murray in the title match.

Alcaraz, who had been crippled by body cramping in his loss to Djokovic in the French Open semi-final in June, was unable to settle in the first set and let a break point slip away in the seven-minute opening game.

Novak Djokovic took advantage and raced into a 5-0 lead on the back of a double break before the Spaniard got on the board.

It was too little, too late as Djokovic claimed the opening set with a smash.

But Alcaraz finally freed himself of his shackles and broke for 2-1 in the second set.

Djokovic hit straight back in the third game before saving a break point in the fourth, coming out on top of a 29-shot rally.

The Serb was hit with a time violation in the tie-break before seeing a set point saved.

Carlos Alcaraz needed no second invitation when he carved out and converted a set point to level the contest with a backhand winner.

The marathon set had taken 85 minutes as Djokovic’s run of 15 tie-breaks won in a row at the majors ended.

Alcaraz broke in the opening game of the third set and again after an exhausting 26-minute fifth game, which went to 13 deuces and saw Djokovic save six break points before he cracked on the seventh.

Carlos Alcaraz backed it up with a rapid-fire service game which took just two minutes in comparison and broke again against the dispirited defending champion to move two sets to one ahead.

Djokovic broke twice in the fourth set, levelling the match courtesy of Alcaraz’s seventh double fault of the final.

But Djokovic wasted a golden chance to break for 2-0 in the decider with a wild smash and Alcaraz made him pay, breaking for 2-1.

A frustrated Djokovic collected another code violation for destroying his racquet against the net post before he slipped 3-1 down.

Carlos Alcaraz was not to be denied and he claimed a famous victory when Djokovic buried a forehand in the net.

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Carlos Alcaraz and Novak Djokovic set up a potentially era-defining Wimbledon title showdown after cruising through their semi-finals on Friday with the Serb superstar promising a “feast” of tennis in the championship match.

World number one and US Open winner Carlos Alcaraz, playing only his fourth grass-court tournament, defeated Daniil Medvedev 6-3, 6-3, 6-3.

Novak Djokovic, the reigning Australian Open and French Open champion, reached his ninth Wimbledon final at the All England Club and record 35th at the Grand Slams by seeing off Jannik Sinner 6-3, 6-4, 7-6 (7/4).

On Sunday, the 36-year-old world number two will attempt to equal Roger Federer‘s mark of eight Wimbledon titles and Margaret Court’s all-time record of 24 majors.

Djokovic defeated Alcaraz in the French Open semi-finals in June with the Spaniard admitting the stress of facing the Serb had caused severe body cramps that undermined his performance.

“I believe I can beat Djokovic,” said 20-year-old Alcaraz, who was still three months shy of his fifth birthday when Djokovic won his first Slam title in Australia in 2008.

“Everyone knows the legend he is. I will fight. I will believe in myself. There’s no time to be afraid, no time to be tired.”

Djokovic believes his experience in Slam finals will be a key factor but remains wary of the flamboyant shotmaker.

“He’s in great shape. He’s very motivated. He’s young. He’s hungry. I’m hungry, too, so let’s have a feast,” he said.

Alcaraz only won seven games when he suffered a straight sets loss to Medvedev at Wimbledon just two years ago.

Back then, however, he was 75 in the world while Medvedev was number two in the rankings.

On Friday, serve dominated the opener until Alcaraz converted a break point for a 5-3 lead which he backed-up with a love service game.

Medvedev had his only break point snuffed out in the second game of the second set and US Open champion Alcaraz pounced again in the third on his way to a convincing lead.

Alcaraz was a break to the good for a 2-0 lead in the third set before four successive breaks gave the finale a sloppy appearance.

The Spaniard, however, steadied himself, moving into his first Wimbledon final with a spectacular running forehand, his 27th winner of the match.

Djokovic’s victory over Sinner was tinged with controversy when he was penalised for hindrance and warned for slow play in the same game during the second set.

Djokovic, playing in his 12th Wimbledon semi-final, fought off three break points in the first set while only needing one of his own in the second game to secure the opener.

The 36-year-old had declared himself favourite for the title on the eve of the semi-final and he backed up that confidence with another break of the Italian for a 2-1 lead in the second set.

Seven-time champion Djokovic stretched to a 3-1 lead in a bizarre fourth game.

Firstly, he was docked a point for hindrance following a loud grunt which accompanied a down the line backhand.

Umpire Richard Haigh then handed him a code violation for taking too long between points.

“The hindrance early on in the match could have changed the course of the match. I felt nervous after that call, but I managed to re-group,” said Djokovic, the first player, man or woman, to reach 35 finals at the Slams.

“It’s probably the first time it’s happened to me, I don’t normally have extended grunts. Maybe it was an echo in the roof. It was a call that I have to respect.”

Despite that double blow, Djokovic still claimed the set courtesy of his seventh ace of the contest against a player who took a two-sets lead against him in the quarter-finals last year before the champion pulled through in five.

Djokovic squandered three break points in the third game of the third set, then saved two set points in the 10th game.

He turned on his tormentors in the crowd, who were loudly supporting Sinner, by feigning mock tears after he dashed their hopes of a breakthrough for the Italian.

Djokovic then dominated the tie-break to preserve his 10-year undefeated record on Centre Court. He has won 34 matches in a row at the event.

“I feel 36 is the new 26, it feels pretty good. I feel a lot of motivation,” he said.

Sinner warned Alcaraz not to be intimidated by Djokovic in Sunday’s final.

“If you think how big he is, you struggle,” he said.

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Novak Djokovic was on the brink of his 14th Wimbledon quarter-final on Monday as Spanish sensation Carlos Alcaraz prepared for a testing battle against Matteo Berrettini.

In early action, Russian teen sensation Mirra Andreeva lost to US 25th seed Madison Keys while defending women’s champion Elena Rybakina progressed when Beatriz Haddad Maia quit in tears.

World number three Daniil Medvedev reached his first Wimbledon quarter-final when Czech opponent Jiri Lehecka retired with an injury.

Seven-time champion Novak Djokovic was two sets up against Hubert Hurkacz when play was halted on Sunday ahead of a locally agreed 11:00 pm curfew.

The pair were set to resume on Monday with the winner to face Andrey Rublev for a place in the semi-finals.

Defending champion Novak Djokovic is chasing a record-equalling eighth Wimbledon title at the All England Club and 24th career Grand Slam crown.

Top seed Alcaraz is seen as one of the few genuine threats to the defending champion, who has not lost a match on Centre Court for 10 years.

The 20-year-old has little experience on grass but won last month’s tournament at Queen’s to set himself up for a tilt at the Wimbledon title.

He comes up against the dangerous Berrettini, who reached the 2021 final, in the last match of the day on Centre Court.

Berrettini, ranked 38th, was forced to miss last year’s Wimbledon after testing positive for Covid and has subsequently struggled with an abdominal injury.

He is desperate to make up for lost time and said he was relishing the opportunity to take on Alcaraz, who won the Queen’s tournament on grass last month.

“In a way it’s what you want, right? You want to play against the best players in the world. Playing against Carlos, it’s always been like a pleasure, a fight, a great fight.”

The first result of the day was on No. 2 Court, where 16-year-old Andreeva’s fairytale run was brought to an end.

The teenager, who came through qualifying, looked set for a place in the Wimbledon quarter-finals when leading Keys by a set and 4-1 but the American fought back to win 3-6, 7-6 (7/4), 6-2.

The match ended in controversy when Andreeva was handed a penalty point for banging her racquet into the surface.

The sanction took Keys to match point.

In the first match on Centre Court, Elena Rybakina was 3-1 up when Brazilian world number 13 Haddad Maia took a medical timeout to treat a lower back injury.

She limped back onto the court but was reduced to walking pace and was in tears as she saw out the fifth game before retiring.

“It’s never easy to finish a match like this. I hope it is nothing really serious, it is really unlucky for Beatriz,” said Rybakina.

The world number three will face either two-time champion Petra Kvitova or 2022 runner-up Ons Jabeur for a place in the semi-finals.

Kvitova, the ninth seed, is showing signs of her best form on grass, nine years after she won the second of her Wimbledon crowns.

Men’s third seed Daniil Medvedev was 6-4, 6-2 ahead when 37th-ranked Lehecka, who had needed a medical timeout for a right foot injury, retired from their Court One clash.

Fifth seed Stefanos Tsitsipas takes on American Christopher Eubanks while 2014 semi-finalist Grigor Dimitrov plays sixth seed Holger Rune.

Away from the action on court, All England Club chief executive Sally Bolton said there were no plans to issue a statement after Belarusia’s Victoria Azarenka was booed off court following her defeat by Ukraine’s Elina Svitolina.

As has become common, Svitolina did not shake hands with Azarenka in protest over Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

Belarus is a key military ally of Moscow.

“Historically in tennis the decision on how a player reacts at the end of a match is entirely a personal decision for them and I think we don’t really want to start mandating what happens,” said Bolton.

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Novak Djokovic reached his seventh French Open final in dramatic circumstances on Friday when world number one Carlos Alcaraz suffered “whole body” cramping and tension which torpedoed his challenge.

Novak Djokovic, 36, triumphed in their semi-final 6-3, 5-7, 6-1, 6-1 to become the oldest man in 93 years to reach the championship match where he will be bidding for a third French Open title and record-setting 23rd men’s Grand Slam crown.

The drama on Friday unfolded just as Djokovic had levelled the third set at 1-1 with the first two sets split but with Alcaraz seemingly in the ascendancy in the sweltering 33-degree Paris heat.

Carlos Alcaraz, 16 years Djokovic’s junior, pulled up clutching his right calf.

He forfeited his next service game because he sought treatment courtside before a scheduled change of ends and could not receive a medical timeout for cramping.

As boos and jeers rained down, Djokovic, playing in his 45th Grand Slam semi-final, swept the next five games to open a two sets to one lead.

Carlos Alcaraz left the court for a five-minute bathroom break but his physical limitations easily opened the door for Djokovic to coast into his 34th Grand Slam final, having wrapped up 10 of the last 11 games of the semi-final.

“Tough luck for Carlos, the last thing you want is cramping. I feel for him and hope he recovers and comes back very soon,” said 2016 and 2021 champion Djokovic.

“Respect for him in fighting until the end. I told him at the net that he is very young and he will win this many times.”

He added: “He was the better player in the second set. I knew I had to be more aggressive and then match and better his intensity.”

Novak Djokovic will face either 2022 runner-up Casper Ruud or Alexander Zverev for a place in the French Open championship match where he will have the opportunity to become the first man to win all four Slam titles at least three times.

In just their second career meeting, and first, at a Grand Slam, Novak Djokovic made light of the age gap by breaking for a 3-1 lead, drawing Alcaraz out of position before topping off a rally with a cool backhand.

Carlos Alcaraz let slip three break points in the seventh game as his flamboyant all-court game collided head-on with Djokovic’s storied defensive wall.

In a see-saw conclusion to the first set, Alcaraz saved a set point in the eighth game and Djokovic thwarted another break point in the ninth before he pocketed the opener when the Spaniard pushed a service return wide.

Novak Djokovic required a medical timeout on his right wrist at 3-4 down in the second set and Alcaraz pounced, finally converting a break point at the sixth attempt for a 5-3 lead.

Djokovic hit back immediately as the 20-year-old Spaniard chose the wrong time to serve up his worst game of the match and a driving backhand down the line retrieved the break.

Djokovic saved three set points in the 10th game but undid the hard work in the 12th game as a wild forehand sailed long and Alcaraz levelled up the semi-final.

It was from that point that Alcaraz’s afternoon painfully unravelled.

“It was really tough for me to move at the third set, and in the fourth set let’s say I had a one percent chance,” said the US Open champion.

He admitted that facing Djokovic for the first time at a Grand Slam caused a unique tension which contributed to his physical ailment.

“The tension of the first set, the second set, it was really intense. Really good rallies, tough rallies, dropshots, sprints,” he explained.

“Novak is a legend of our sport. If someone says that he goes onto the court with no nerves playing against Novak, he lies. Of course playing a semi-final of a Grand Slam, you have a lot of nerves, but even more facing Novak. That’s the truth.”

The clash between Novak Djokovic and Carlos Alcaraz overshadowed the other semi-final of the French Open between Ruud, runner-up to Rafael Nadal in 2022, and Olympic champion Zverev who is in the last four for a third successive year.

Twelve months ago, Zverev suffered season-ending ankle ligament damage in his semi-final against Nadal.

“That was the most difficult year of my life,” said the 26-year-old German.

“I love playing tennis and the sport and competition were taken away from me. But I have been given a new chance and hopefully I can take advantage of it.”

Zverev leads Ruud 2-1 in their head-to-head match-ups but they have never met on clay.

That could prove significant as world number four Ruud boasts the best record on the surface since 2020 with 86 wins.

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