By Shrivathsa Sridhar

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PARIS, – The #French Open males’s singles semi-finals take centre stage at Roland Garros on Friday.

Defending champion #Carlos Alcaraz meets Italian eighth seed #Lorenzo Musetti in a rematch of their Monte Carlo closing and #Rome semi-final, each of which the Spaniard received to reach in #Paris with the right preparation.

World primary #Jannik Sinner performs 24-times Grand Slam champion #Novak Djokovic in search of a fourth straight win over the Serbian to edge their head-to-head file after a ninth assembly.

ALCARAZ PEAKING AT RIGHT TIME

If there have been lingering questions on Alcaraz’s capacity to match Sinner’s effectivity after a few unconvincing matches at Roland Garros, they had been emphatically dismissed by the second seed when he crushed American Tommy Paul final outing.

The four-times Grand Slam winner will head to Court Philippe Chatrier because the agency favorite on the again of 5 straight victories over Italian Musetti since dropping a three-set thriller within the 2022 #Hamburg closing.

“Carlos has always had the level, the problem is it’s hard to produce it in every match,” the Spaniard’s coach #Juan Carlos Ferrero mentioned.

“We know when he performs positively, bravely, when he performs with out concern, he is a participant with a possible that’s nonetheless but to be realised.

“But you also have to see the other side of it: pressure, tension, fear, difficulties, opponents, a tournament you want to win more than others, the importance we all put on it … all these things also come into play.”

Musetti, who received the Olympic bronze medal on the purple filth of Roland Garros, shall be buoyed by making at the very least the semi-finals on the 4 greatest claycourt occasions this season.

“It’s going to be a beautiful battle,” Alcaraz mentioned.

“We’re both playing great tennis. Monte Carlo final, semi-finals in #Rome, so it’s going to be great for people to watch as well.”

SINNER FACES DJOKOVIC SEEKING TO ASSERT DOMINANCE

Alcaraz may meet Sinner in a dream #French Open closing if the Italian prime seed can navigate his semi-final in opposition to three-times #Paris champion Djokovic, who’s again enjoying at a degree that received him an Olympic gold final 12 months however went lacking thereafter.

Sinner has dominated the duo’s latest conferences, successful 4 out of the final 5, although he was crushed in straight units of their solely match on clay in Monte Carlo 4 years in the past.

Sinner, nevertheless, is now a ruthless machine who’s rejuvenated since coming back from his brief doping ban and few would wager in opposition to the U.S. Open and Australian Open champion reaching one other main closing.

“I wouldn’t have thought to be here in this position since my comeback,” Sinner mentioned, after dismantling Alexander Bublik to achieve the final 4.

“I’m happy to take things like they are and hopefully I’m ready. I want to watch my side of the net and then we’ll see.”

Djokovic will hope to land yet one more punch for the previous guard because the final lively member of the “Big Four” of males’s tennis and he has hit prime gear on the proper time after successful his one centesimal tour-level title in Geneva forward of Roland Garros.

He took one other step in direction of a file twenty fifth main by swatting apart Alexander Zverev and reminded followers about how he thrives on the grandest stage.

“This is where I lock in and give my best,” Djokovic mentioned.

“I simply hope that I’ll be capable of bodily sustain with Sinner. It’s an enormous problem for me.

“It’s only going to get tougher, but it’s good. It’s how it’s supposed to be, at the highest level.”

FRENCH OPEN ORDER OF PLAY ON FRIDAY

COURT PHILIPPE CHATRIER

2-#Carlos Alcaraz v 8-#Lorenzo Musetti

1-#Jannik Sinner v 6-#Novak Djokovic

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