Rome (AFP) – Carlos Alcaraz set up a potential blockbuster Italian Open final with Jannik Sinner after coming through Friday’s semi-final with home hope Lorenzo Musetti as a straight-sets winner, 6-3, 7-6 (7/4). Four-time Grand Slam champion Alcaraz overcame Musetti and windy conditions in just over two hours to reach his fourth final of the season ahead of the French Open, which gets underway later this month.
Alcaraz now awaits the result of Sinner’s last-four clash with Tommy Paul later on Friday to see if he will get the showdown tennis fans around the world want to see. “Both players are playing great. Everybody saw the game against Casper,” said Alcaraz, who might again have to face down a partisan center court crowd on Sunday. “Let’s see. If I’m going to play against Tommy Paul, I have to be ready for that. If I play against Jannik, I have to be ready for that battle, and obviously deal with the crowd.”
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World number one Sinner is the red-hot favorite to beat American Paul after dumping out Madrid Open champion Casper Ruud on Thursday with an astonishing display of tennis. But Musetti said that he believes an in-form Alcaraz would have the better of it against Sinner if his compatriot does reach the final. “I really rate Carlos. I think on clay that the best version of Carlos is favorite against anyone… that includes Jannik,” he told reporters.
Musetti was beaten by Alcaraz in the Monte Carlo final last month and fell to his fifth straight defeat to the Spaniard after a frustrating display. The 23-year-old gave up three breaks of serve and made 29 unforced errors in the first set, and he was warned by umpire Renaud Lichtenstein after slamming his racket into the clay as he gave up his serve to go a set behind.
Alcaraz gave Musetti an opening when he fired long at break point in the first game of the second set, but the Italian then did the exact same thing in the next game to level it up. However, Musetti fought back with another break of Alcaraz’s serve and then held his with more disciplined tennis to go to 4-3 in the set, even drawing applause from Alcaraz for one spectacular backhand volley he plucked out of the sky.
But Alcaraz broke back in game eight to level the set, sparking a furious reaction from Musetti, who was punished with a point for the following game for smashing the ball into the stands. Alcaraz served that game to love as Musetti continued to fume and ended the crowd’s hopes of an all-Italian final by coming through the decisive tie-break.
Earlier, Jasmine Paolini continued her bid to win the women’s singles and doubles titles in Rome after reaching her second final of the week, this time alongside fellow Italian Sara Errani. Reigning doubles champions Paolini and Errani easily beat Mirra Andreeva and Diana Shnaider 6-4, 6-4 to book a second straight final in front of delighted fans at the Foro Italico.
The pair will meet either Veronika Kudermetova and Elise Mertens or Storm Hunter and Ellen Perez in the final on Sunday, before which Paolini could already be crowned singles champion. Late bloomer Paolini takes on Coco Gauff on Saturday, aiming for her second 1000 series title at the age of 29 and to become the first Italian woman to win in Rome since Raffaella Reggi in 1985.
© 2024 AFP
