France's Carlos Alcaraz and Novak Djokovic face off in the 2023 Roland Garros semi-finals. The match starts at 7:45 p.m.
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A year after their three-set thriller at the Madrid Open, Alcaraz and Djokovic meet for the second time on the ATP circuit, in a Grand Slam clay-court semi-final. Alcaraz is aiming for his first Roland Garros final, while Djokovic is aiming for his third title at Philippe Chatrier, a feat that would see him claim a record 23rd Grand Slam title and return to the world number one ranking. Nole is also aiming for his seventh Grand Slam final, as well as his sixth title in his last eight appearances.
Djokovic (left) and Alcaraz are considered the strongest tennis players in the world today. Photo: AP
Alcaraz reached the semi-finals in top form, defeating one-handed backhanders Denis Shapovalov, Lorenzo Musetti and Tsitsipas in three sets. But Djokovic's two-handed backhand will be very different from the trio mentioned above. It was and is the best backhand in tennis history. Nole's courage at the crucial moment is also the difference compared to the rest. The Serb won all five tie-breaks at the tournament. In the nerve-wracking series at Roland Garros this year, Nole did not make a single unforced error.
Djokovic had just lost the first set at Roland Garros, against Karen Khachanov in the quarterfinals. Nole bounced back with a 7-0 win in the second set tie-break, before dominating his opponent in the third and fourth sets. The opening two sets against the Russian in the previous round were rated by Djokovic as his worst sets of the tournament. There is almost no chance of him making amends, if he continues to have such a bad start against Alcaraz.
If Alcaraz wins, he will not only stop Djokovic from claiming a record 23 Grand Slam titles, but also signal the end of the era of "Big 3" dominance. The cheers of the audience at Philippe Chatrier will likely help the young Spaniard get more excited. But in a way, Djokovic also likes the crowd on Alcaraz's side. In many big matches in the past, Nole has often played his best tennis when the fans cheered for his opponent.
The winner of the first semi-final will face either Alexander Zverev or Casper Ruud in the final.
Nhan Dat
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