Carlos Alcaraz into French Open final after Lorenzo Musetti retires injured

ROLAND GARROS, PARIS — This was not a statement French Open performance from Carlos Alcaraz, but in wearing down Lorenzo Musetti to reach his second consecutive final, he delivered a reminder of the gulf that exists between those at the very top of men’s tennis and the rest.

For a couple of sets, the No. 8 seed Musetti lived with the defending Roland Garros champion, before succumbing 4-6, 7-6 (3), 6-0, 2-0 (ret). It was a sad way for the match to end, underlining the challenge of trying to live with Alcaraz for more than a couple of sets — especially on clay, where he has lost just one of his last 23 matches.

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“I knew it even before stepping on court that I had to play probably the best match of my career so far (to win),” Musetti said in a news conference afterwards.

Friday’s semifinal felt eerily reminiscent of the final in Monte Carlo a couple of months ago, which Alcaraz won 3-6, 6-1, 6-0. On both occasions, Musetti faded physically, which is not something that happens in isolation. Trying to live with Alcaraz is a gargantuan test, and it was one the Italian never looked like passing from the moment he lost a second-set tiebreak, missing the chance to take a two-set lead.

Musetti said that it was a leg issue that caused him to retire. He started feeling pain in the third set, when trying to push off while serving. He’ll have tests Saturday to determine the seriousness of the issue, and couldn’t offer any clarity on whether he’d back for Wimbledon, where he reached the semifinals last year. He also called trying to live with Alcaraz “one of the toughest challenges in our sport.”

“There was too much risk, you know, to take to go forward and to, you know, to be able to of course show something even for the crowd,” he said.

As much as his absurd shotmaking and terrifying speed, Alcaraz has developed a champion’s knack for picking up wins when not playing his best. The Spaniard did it again Friday, when for a couple of sets, it looked as though he might sleepwalk into jeopardy under the roof on Court Philippe-Chatrier. He generally had the better of the opener, but failed to take a couple of break points and was then ambushed by Musetti when serving to stay in it down 5-4. Alcaraz missed five first serves, and Musetti, swinging freely, pinched the break and the set.

In his news conference, Alcaraz spoke about not panicking when losing sets in Grand Slams, knowing that he has the physical and mental edge, and crucially the time, to ultimately come out on top.

Having only made 41 percent of his first serves in the first set, Alcaraz knew he had to tighten up that area of his game. He did it to an extent, getting up to 65 percent, but the greater margin reduced some of his potency, with his first-serve points won percentage dropping to 63 per cent from 73 per cent in the first set. Although Alcaraz broke Musetti at the start of the second set and towards the end of it, he was broken back immediately on both occasions.

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It felt as though the ensuing tiebreak would be crucial, and so it proved. Alcaraz rolled through it, and the thing that Musetti had been fearing would happen all match happened. Alcaraz loosened up, started grinning, and began to enjoy himself.

Having clinched the tie-break with the help of a Roger Federer-esque forehand slice, he was hitting the ball much more freely, which meant both more power and invention. Alcaraz raced to a 5-0 lead in the third set, at which point Musetti required medical treatment at the change of ends. Moments later, they were sitting down again, with Alcaraz having wrapped up a bagel 6-0 set.

“At the beginning of the third set, I knew what I had to do,” Alcaraz said.

“I’m pushing him to the limit, trying to make him run from side to side.”

Two games later, it was all over, and Alcaraz now has the chance to defend his title. The 22-year-old will face either world No. 1 Jannik Sinner or 24-time Grand Slam champion Novak Djokovic, and said he would be watching their semifinal on Friday night.

In the interview room, he added that he didn’t have a preference on who he faced: “If I want to play against Jannik, he’s the best tennis player right now. I mean, he’s destroying every opponent through the semifinal. Or Djokovic is a 24(-time) Grand Slam champion.

“I have no preference. I’m going to enjoy the match, and let’s see who I’m gonna play against on Sunday.”

Whoever he faces, Alcaraz knows that he will have to be a lot better than he was against Musetti, but also knows very well how to peak at the right time.

(Photo: Clive Brunskill / Getty Images)

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