Where Alcaraz always spilled a set in his previous three duels, the Spaniard flew off the starting blocks. He won the first set 6-0 and within 32 minutes. In the second set Paul took a game, but the playing time was even shorter, only 21 minutes were needed.
The third set started a bit better for Paul, who won the first game with pain and effort after a good number of times. Up to 4-4 he was actually able to join Alcaraz in the set, which sparkled a little less. But the inevitable break came for the defending champion, who then finished it on his own storage.
Lorenzo Musetti escapes disqualification
Lorenzo Musetti – on Friday the opponent of Alcaraz – has reached the semi -final at Roland Garros for the first time in his career. It didn’t make much difference to Frances Tiafoe, although that was not necessarily to do with the tennis itself.
Lorenzo Musetti. Credit AFP
The 23-year-old Italian won his party in four sets and never lagged behind the facts against Tiafoe: 6-2 4-6 7-5 and 6-2. But in the second set it seemed that Musetti was going to be disqualified.
Carlos Alcaraz must allow Ben Shelton to take him set, but does reach a quarterfinals Roland Garros
What did Lorenzo Musetti do?
With a 5-3 deficit in the second set, it looked a little less florissant for Musetti. He kicked out of frustration against a tennis ball, his direction. This touched the line judge on a few meters on her body. Tiafoe saw it and pointed the referee to it, but he was merciful and did not send Musetti the track.
Musetti was allowed to speak of happiness. In the past, players have been disqualified for similar or less severe offenses. For example, in 2020 Novak Djokovic was excluded from the US Open, when he hit a ball against a line judge.
Top form Lorenzo Musetti
Musetti was the better on the French gravel outside the second set. With that he underlined his top form. At the Monte Carlo tournament he was in the final, in Madrid and Rome he reached the last four.