Alcaraz likes to observe replays of his greatest pictures, faces Tsitsipas at French Open

PARIS — Some pleasant recommendation, sports followers: If Carlos Alcaraz is enjoying, don’t look away. Even for a second. Because it’s doubtless he’ll conjure up some type of highlight-worthy mixture of capacity, athleticism and consciousness that drops the jaw.

Anyone who’s watched him play currently is aware of this. Anyone who’s performed towards him currently is aware of this. And he is aware of this. Which is why the No. 1-ranked Alcaraz himself acknowledged by that now-familiar smile that he’ll look up on the stadium video boards “a lot of times” to see a replay of what he simply did.

Up to his typical methods at Court Philippe Chatrier on Sunday, Alcaraz blended a little bit of this — a back-to-the-net ’tweener lob — and a little bit of that — a full-sprint-then-slide broad of the doubles alley for a backhand winner at a seemingly inconceivable angle — alongside the best way to reaching the French Open quarterfinals with a 6-3, 6-2, 6-2 victory over No. 17 seed Lorenzo Musetti of Italy.

“Today he showed,” Musetti mentioned, “that he probably can win this tournament.”

First issues first. Next for Alcaraz, a 20-year-old from Spain who received the U.S. Open in September, comes what may very well be a harder take a look at: His quarterfinal opponent shall be No. 5 Stefanos Tsitsipas, a two-time main runner-up who superior by beating qualifier Sebastian Ofner 7-5, 6-3, 6-0.

Win that, and Alcaraz might discover himself in a semifinal towards Novak Djokovic. He broke a tie with rival Rafael Nadal by reaching the French Open quarterfinals for the file seventeenth time, by no means actually in bother throughout a 6-3, 6-2, 6-2 win over Juan Pablo Varillas.

“Well, I’m proud of it, but my attention is already on the next match,” mentioned Djokovic, who now meets No. 11 Karen Khachanov. “I know what my goal is here. I’m trying to stay, mentally, the course and of course not look too far.”

That’s as a result of Djokovic is closing on bettering Nadal in a extra prestigious class: Grand Slam singles championships. Both at the moment sit at 22. For Djokovic, that whole contains two at Roland Garros, in 2016 and 2021, and he can turn out to be the primary man to personal a minimum of three trophies from every main match.

Nadal is a 14-time champion in Paris however is lacking this time due to a hip harm; he had arthroscopic surgical procedure Friday evening that’s anticipated to sideline him for the remainder of the 12 months.

“I really hope that his rehabilitation process can go well and that we can see him next season. He’s so important for our game, on and off the court, one of the greatest legends of tennis in the history of the game,” Djokovic mentioned. “We want to see a healthy Rafa, no question about it.”

The No. 3-seeded Djokovic is that this far for the 14th time in a row on the French Open and for the fifty fifth time general in any respect majors. Roger Federer, who retired with 58, is the one man to succeed in extra.

Djokovic takes an 8-1 head-to-head mark into Tuesday’s assembly with Khachanov, who defeated Lorenzo Sonego 1-6, 6-4, 7-6 (7), 6-1.

“He’s one of the toughest tasks, toughest opponents,” Khachanov mentioned about Djokovic, “and you cannot count him out.”

Elina Svitolina, collaborating in her first Slam since having a child in October, made her means into the quarterfinals with a 6-4, 7-6 (5) win towards No. 9 Daria Kasatkina, who was within the ultimate 4 in Paris a 12 months in the past. Svitolina, who’s from Ukraine, skipped the postmatch handshake towards her Russian opponent due to the continuing warfare; Kasatkina supplied a thumbs-up to Svitolina.

Svitolina goes up towards No. 2 Aryna Sabalenka, the reigning Australian Open champion. Sabalenka grabbed the primary 5 video games and the final 9 factors of a topsy-turvy 7-6 (5), 6-4 victory over 2017 U.S. Open champion Sloane Stephens at evening.

Just like after her third-round victory, Sabalenka, who’s from Belarus, didn’t attend the normal postmatch information convention. Instead, the match allowed her to talk with a member of the WTA’s editorial employees.

At media periods following every of her first two matches in Paris, Sabalenka was requested about her stance on the warfare in Ukraine, which started in February 2022, when Russia invaded that nation with assist from Belarus.

Sabalenka led 5-0, then instantly Stephens pulled even at 5-5. But Sabalenka took the final two factors of that opening set. Then, within the second, Stephens was serving at 4-all, 40-love — and wouldn’t take one other level. Sabalenka was the one figuring out the result of most exchanges: She completed with way more winners (24-5) and way more unforced errors (40-19).

Two unseeded girls will play one another in one other quarterfinal: Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova, the 2021 runner-up at Roland Garros, and Karolina Muchova.

Pavlyuchenkova, who missed final 12 months’s match as a part of a prolonged absence with a knee harm, bought previous a 3rd consecutive seeded opponent, No. 28 Elise Mertens, by a 3-6, 7-6 (3), 6-3 rating. Muchova was a 6-4, 6-4 winner towards Elina Avanesyan, who misplaced in qualifying however bought into the principle draw when one other participant withdrew.

In Musetti, Alcaraz was taking up somebody who received their solely earlier matchup, in a clay-court ultimate on the Hamburg Open final 12 months. Musetti additionally had not dropped a set by three matches in Paris.

But this was a major step up in competitors.

Alcaraz amassed a 42-17 edge in whole winners, whereas managing to make the identical variety of unforced errors, 23.

He might choose and select how one can undo Musetti’s recreation. Hit behind him alongside the baseline. Hit proper at him too powerfully to permit a reply. Hit a forehand passing shot down the road that appeared headed broad earlier than curling in. Hit the softest drop volleys conceivable, in order that they’d arrive and barely bounce.

“Certain shots, certain athletic moves, other players don’t do,” Musetti mentioned.

Alcaraz was requested afterward whether or not he’ll ever see a opponent provide you with a stroke that he’d like to determine how one can add to his repertoire.