Paris, June 4 (UNI) Carlos Alcaraz, the world number two and defending champion, advanced to his third successive semifinal at Roland-Garros on Wednesday IST with a commanding 6-0, 6-1, 6-4 victory over American Tommy Paul.
The Spaniard extended his winning streak at the French Open to 11 matches, dispatching his opponent in just one hour and 34 minutes. Alcaraz’s near-flawless performance was hailed by International Tennis Hall of Famer Mats Wilander as “the perfect tennis match” during a post-match interview on court.
“I could close my eyes and everything went in,” Alcaraz said. “My feeling today was unbelievable. I was trying to hit every shot at my 100 per cent… not thinking about anything else, and today was one of those matches where everything went in. I’m just pleased with everything.”
Alcaraz dominated from the outset, recording his 17th career 6-0 set at tour level. He struck 40 winners to Paul’s 13, while conceding just five points on serve throughout the match. The Spaniard was motivated by their competitive head-to-head record, which stood at 4-2 in his favour before the match. Paul, hampered by an abdominal injury earlier in the tournament, struggled to gain traction.
Despite a brief rally in the third set, where Paul saved five break points in the opening game, Alcaraz closed out the match by winning the final three games, maintaining his stronghold on the clay.
Alcaraz is the first reigning men’s champion at Roland-Garros to reach the semi-finals the following year since compatriot Rafael Nadal in 2021. Tuesday’s match was also the quickest at this stage of the men’s singles draw since David Ferrer defeated Tommy Robredo in 2013.
“This tournament is very special to me,” said Alcaraz. “Every time I come here, it feels special. I’m really happy to be in the semi-finals again, the third time in a row, so I’m just trying to enjoy this moment and hopefully keep it going.”
The 22-year-old boasts a remarkable 32-2 record on clay over the past year, including 20 victories this season. He will face Italy’s Lorenzo Musetti in Friday’s semi-final, having beaten the Italian twice this year in Monte Carlo and Rome.
Alcaraz now bids to become only the third man this century to successfully defend the Roland-Garros title, joining Rafael Nadal, who achieved the feat 10 times, and Gustavo Kuerten, who won back-to-back titles in 2000 and 2001.
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