In a remarkable performance, Carlos Alcaraz secured his place in the Italian Open final, after defeating Lorenzo Musetti with a score of 6-3, 7-6 (4).
This victory marks Alcaraz’s third final in clay court events this season, including his triumph at the Monte Carlo Masters and his runner-up finish at the Barcelona Open, prior to his withdrawal from the Madrid Open due to an injury.
The tennis player, who holds four Grand Slam titles, is preparing to defend his title at Roland Garros, which will begin on May 25.
In Sunday’s final, Alcaraz will face the winner of the match between Jannik Sinner, current world number one, and Tommy Paul, number 12.
Sinner demonstrated his great level in the quarterfinals, by defeating Casper Ruud with a resounding 6-0, 6-1.
“Everyone saw the match against Casper. It’s a huge level. If I’m going to play against Tommy Paul, I have to be ready for that, and if I play against Jannik, I have to be ready for that battle and obviously deal with the crowd. So it will surely be an interesting Sunday,” commented Alcaraz.
Carlos Alcaraz
In the women’s final, Coco Gauff will face Jasmine Paolini.
In addition, Paolini and her partner Sara Errani advanced to the women’s doubles final, after defeating the Russian pair Mirra Andreeva and Diana Shnaider with a score of 6-4, 6-4, in a repeat of last year’s Olympic final, also won by the Italians.
Alcaraz, who withdrew from the Madrid tournament due to a right leg injury and also suffered a left leg injury, has been using a support on his right leg during the tournament in Rome.
Musetti managed to win a set against Alcaraz in the Monte Carlo final, but Alcaraz broke the Italian’s serve in the first game of the match in Rome, silencing the local fans at the Campo Centrale. Musetti made several unforced errors, which prevented him from keeping up with the pace of the game.
Musetti was penalized a point for unsportsmanlike conduct in the second set, after receiving a prior warning for breaking his racket.
On a windy day at the Foro Italico, Alcaraz emphasized that it wasn’t about playing “brilliantly”, but about employing “intelligent tennis”.
“Waiting for your opportunities to play aggressively, I think I did quite well. I stayed mentally strong when things didn’t go my way,” Alcaraz stated.
Carlos Alcaraz
This is the second time Alcaraz is participating in the Italian Open. In his debut last year, he lost in the third round against Hungarian qualifier Fabian Marozsan, while dealing with a right forearm injury.
