French Open: Carlos Alcaraz finds joy in suffering as he overcomes Jannik Sinner in five-set semifinal
It was a clash billed to be a high-octane thriller — similar to previous contests of this hyped, burgeoning new rivalry — but it turned out to be a slow-burning afternoon of intrigue and fine margins under the baking Parisian sunshine.In their French Open semifinal on Friday, Carlos Alcaraz, the 21-year-old World No. 3 from Spain, edged 22-year-old Australian Open champion Jannik Sinner 2-6, 6-3, 3-6, 6-4, 6-3 to reach his first final at Roland Garros.
Not all nail-biters are of the highest quality; this match ended up being one of different qualities in different sets. Only on a few occasions would either player roll out their best tennis, and rarely at the same time. 12 breaks of serve, 102 unforced errors, and 15 double faults in total certainly tell that story.
That first Roland-Garro...