French Open: Sinner beats Djokovic, setting up final against Alcaraz
PARIS — Top-ranked Jannik Sinner beat Novak Djokovic 6-4, 7-5, 7-6 (3) on Friday to set up a French Open final against defending champion Carlos Alcaraz.
Djokovic is the men’s record 24-time Grand Slam champion but could not counter Sinner’s relentless accuracy and pounding forehands on Court Philippe-Chatrier.
Sinner became only the second Italian man to reach the final at Roland-Garros after Adriano Panatta, the 1976 champion.
Earlier, Alcaraz led 4-6, 7-6 (3), 6-0, 2-0 against Lorenzo Musetti when the eighth-seeded Italian retired with a leg injury.
Sinner is aiming for his fourth major title, Alcaraz his fifth.
Djokovic fought back in the third set but wilted in the tiebreaker, somehow missing an easy smash at the net to trail 3-0 and then lost on the second match point he faced when his forehand hit the net.
“These are rare and special moments,” Sinner said. “I’m very happy.”
He extended his winning streak in Grand Slam tournaments to 20 matches, after winning the U.S. Open and the Australian Open.
Djokovic was bidding for a record-extending 38th Grand Slam final, and eighth in Paris, where he was won three times. But he spent much of the semifinal camped behind the baseline, sliding at full stretch and grunting loudly while Sinner sent him scurrying left and right like a windscreen wiper.
Sinner praised Djokovic after beating him for a fourth straight time.
“It was such a special occasion playing against Novak in the semifinals of a Grand Slam,” Sinner said. “I had to step up. I had to play the best tennis I could.”
When they met at the net, Djokovic gave Sinner a warm embrace and bumped his chest several times.Djokovic seemed unsure how to trouble the Italian.
He tilted his head back in frustration when, in the second game of the second set, his attempted drop shot landed short. Then, his lob was not quite high enough and Sinner smashed it easily. Finally, when a 26-stroke rally went his way — featuring sliced drop shots and even improbable retrieves — Djokovic got a huge ovation from the crowd, who bellowed out “Novak! Novak!” as he milked their applause. That made it deuce. But Sinner took the game.
Sinner was becoming the Roland-Garros showman Djokovic so often was on the main court, where he won three of his major titles.
One improvised flick-of-the-wrist drop shot from back of the court was majestic, too good even for Djokovic to get back.
Djokovic had a brief massage on his upper right thigh during the changeover at 6-5 down. Serving for the second set for a second time, Sinner clinched it when Djokovic could not return his strong serve.
Djokovic took a medical time out immediately and received massage treatment on the same leg for a few minutes.
He looked sharper in the third set, but Sinner held his nerve.
Earlier, Musetti was struggling with his left leg.
He was 5-0 down after 16 minutes of the third set when he called for a trainer. Alcaraz broke Musetti in the next game to clinch the set in 21 minutes, winning 24 of 29 points.
“It’s not great to win a match like this. Lorenzo is a great player,” Alcaraz said. “I wish him all the best.”
Musetti called for the trainer again after the third set and, after Alcaraz broke his serve to lead 2-0, Musetti walked slowly up to the net and received a hug from Alcaraz.
“I felt at the beginning of the third when I was serving, I start losing a little bit of strength on the left leg behind,” Musetti said. “Tomorrow I will do exams.”
Frustration got to Alcaraz during the second set, and at one point he aimed a side-footed kick at his changeover seat.
“The first two sets were really tough,” Alcaraz said. “When I won the second set I was relieved.”
Musetti was playing in only his second major semifinal after reaching the same stage at Wimbledon last year. Alcaraz said he feels in top shape physically for the final.
“Really good. It’s been three intense weeks but I’m feeling great,” he said. “I have a lot of confidence right now.”
Alcaraz improved to 21-1 on clay this year, winning titles on the dirt in Rome — beating Sinner in the final after the Italian returned from his doping ban — and Monte Carlo.