Zoned-In Zverev Takes Out Alcaraz For SF Spot
Stopping Carlos Alcaraz in 2022 has proven no easy task, but Alexander Zverev dug deep to complete the job at Roland Garros on Tuesday afternoon.
The third seed powered to a second-straight semi-final at the clay-court Grand Slam, staving off an Alcaraz fightback to earn a 6-4, 6-4, 4-6, 7-6(7) victory over the 19-year-old Spaniard. Zverev next faces a semi-final showdown with World No. 1 Novak Djokovic or 13-time champion Rafael Nadal.
“I knew that I had to play my absolute best tennis today, from the start on, and I’m happy that I did that," said Zverev in his on-court interview. "Obviously he kept on coming back, he’s an incredible player. I told him at the net, [he’s] going to win this tournament a lot of times, not only once. I hope I can win it before he starts beating us all and we will have no chance at all.”
Having lost to Alcaraz in straight sets in the final of the Mutua Madrid Open in early May, Zverev appeared eager to prove a point in his first Grand Slam meeting with the World No. 6. The German stayed aggressive throughout the three-hour, 18-minute encounter on Court Philippe Chatrier, dominating the early baseline exchanges and frequently reading the Alcaraz drop shot to open up a two-set lead.
Alcaraz channelled the support of an enraptured crowd to raise his game and claim the third set, but Zverev’s big serve proved crucial in blunting the Spaniard’s comeback. A fourth-set tie-break full of exhilarating shotmaking saw Zverev save a set point at 5/6 before letting slip a first match point after netting a backhand at 7/6. He made no mistake the second time around at 8/7, crashing a return winner from the backhand wing to seal a maiden win over a Top 10 opponent at a major tournament.
Zverev had shown flashes of brilliance in reaching the quarter-finals in Paris, although a lack of consistency almost cost the German before he saved match point to defeat Sebastian Baez in five sets in the second round. In contrast to that performance, the 19-time tour-level titlist maintained a high level throughout against Alcaraz, putting together his most convincing display of the tournament as he chases a maiden Grand Slam crown.
Both players arrived in the French capital full of confidence having enjoyed strong European clay-court seasons, but in the first two sets Alcaraz was unable to find the level that earned him titles in Barcelona and Madrid. His run to the quarter-finals on just his second appearance at Roland Garros leaves the Spaniard with a 20-2 record on the surface this year, an indication of the magnitude of Zverev’s victory.
“The match was turning his way," said Zverev. "So I’m extremely happy that I won the tie-break and didn’t have to play a five-set match and be disappointed after a five-set match again like I was last year after the semi-finals.”
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Zverev came out striking the ball cleanly from the start in the quarter-final clash, particularly off his backhand wing. He was still forced to fend off a break point to hold serve in the second game, an early reminder of the Alcaraz threat, but the German looked the more confident and the pressure told. He converted his third break point of the fifth game before going on to secure the first set as Alcaraz struggled to find his rhythm.
A key feature of the Alcaraz rise to No. 6 in the Pepperstone ATP Rankings has been his effective use of the drop shot, but Zverev appeared prepared for the tactic in the pair’s first meeting at a Grand Slam. The German successfully chased down a series of drop shots from the Spaniard while continuing to dominate from deep with greater consistency and potency than Alcaraz.
A break in the seventh game of the second set was enough to clinch it for Zverev, who continued to move forward whenever possible to pressure Alcaraz. As he has so frequently this season, however, the Spaniard found a way to remain competitive despite not finding his peak game. After saving break point to hold for 5-4 in the third set, Alcaraz struck a sublime forehand pass for 15/40 on the Zverev serve, converting his first set point to the delight of an enraptured crowd.
The momentum was with Alcaraz and the Spaniard struck the ball with increasing authority as the match wore on, but Zverev stayed solid behind his serve and took his chance to break as he served for the match at 5-4. Despite failing to serve out for victory as Alcaraz again pegged the German back, Zverev came good in the tie-break to improve his ATP Head2Head lead over the Spaniard to 3-1.