TOPS
Winner of Carlos Alcaraz Friday in the semi-finals of Roland-Garros, Novak Djokovic qualified for his 34th Grand Slam final. A new record for the insatiable Serbian, who equals the mark of the former queen of women’s tennis Chris Evert. In men’s tennis, he is now quite far ahead of Rafael Nadal and his 30 finals. But it’s another record that the Serb will want to seek on Sunday in the final. That of Grand Slam titles with a 23rd coronation more than ever in his sights.
Djokovic and Alcaraz put on a fabulous show in the first two sets. The duration of the first two acts, two hours and ten minutes, recounts part of the fight between Alcaraz and Djokovic on the Philippe-Chatrier court. The Serb played from the start at a stratospheric level. His demonic game intelligence struck again. But the Murcian, admirable will, ended up equalizing a set everywhere by converting the first of the eleven break points he had procured since the start of the match. The fight was then sumptuous. We were heading towards a cult and historic match. But the body of Alcaraz has unfortunately decided otherwise. These first two sets will in any case be remembered.
Before the cramp / injury of the phenomenon Carlos Alcaraz completely changed the face of the meeting, the two men entertained the Philippe-Chatrier. Led one set to zero by the Serb, Alcaraz regained his eternal smile at the start of the second set thanks to an anthology point. A passing forehand turning around that touches the line at 1-1, to lead 30-0. A point from elsewhere which also made Djokovic smile, flabbergasted like the spectators of Philippe Chatrier. Overwhelmed by a lob, the Spaniard hit back to the court at his ankle to land a winning pass. Gorgeous.
The low-key Norwegian outclassed Alexander Zverev on Friday. A rock-solid Ruud who qualifies for his second consecutive Porte d’Auteuil final. The German never managed to endanger the Norwegian who gave nothing and took advantage of the many faults of the 27th in the world. Casually, the discreet 4th player in the world qualifies for his third final in the last five Grand Slams. It remains to be seen whether he will be able to prevent Novak Djokovic from seeking his 23rd title in a Grand Slam. Another story…
FLOPS
The divisive Novak Djokovic will never be unanimous. And he doesn’t always pay attention to his popularity, it’s true. Nevertheless, this does not justify the attitude of the Parisian public on Friday. This whistled the Serb when he took the famous toilet break at the start of the second set. What is authorized by the regulations but considered as anti game by part of the public. The Parisian public still acclaimed Alcaraz, it is true diminished, when he returned from his toilet break at the start of the fourth set. An undeniable difference in treatment. But there, where the public was below everything, it was when he booed the Serb when the latter greeted the crowd after his qualification in the final. Which made the two-time winner say, “I don’t care, I keep winning.” The best response to its many detractors.
While the duel between Alcaraz and Djokovic was in full swing with a spectacle of great beauty, the match changed its appearance when the Spaniard injured his right calf at the start of the third set, on a seemingly innocuous movement at 1-1. His opponent immediately came to his side to take news. The damage was done. The beginning of the end for the Spaniard, who will only score one game in the last sets, and for the central public an immense frustration.
Having just lost the game in the third set when he had his physical discomfort, the Spaniard indicated that he had a cramp and requested a medical time-out. Which is prohibited, because the cramp is not considered an injury. Consequence: he lost the next game, the third of the set, on green. He found himself led 2-1, without a fight. And the public, visibly little or not aware of this complex regulation, rumbled when the referee announced the score of 2-1 in favor of the Serb… “Mr. Alcaraz requested medical treatment for cramps. This treatment having to intervene at the change of side, Mr. Alcaraz concedes all the points” of the third game, explained the referee Aurélie Tourte, who applied this regulation to the letter. If Alcaraz had declared an injury at the time of his unfortunate support, he would have been entitled to an immediate medical time-out. Honesty doesn’t always pay…
Coming back a year after his serious ankle injury at the same stage of the competition against Rafael Nadal, Alexander Zverev saw his career come to an abrupt end against Casper Ruud. The German had run out of fuel in the engine and he never found the solution to disturb (a little) the so solid Norwegian. Incredibly inefficient behind his first balls (55% of points won only) accumulating faults (37), the former world number 2 was helpless. Sad epilogue.
