Paris, June 7 (IANS) World No.1 Carlos Alcaraz delivered a phenomenal performance to reach his first Roland -Garros semifinal by blitzing two-time Grand Slam finalist Stefanos Tsitsipasof Greece .
The Spaniard was largely untouchable in a 6-2, 6-1, 7-6(5) victory on Tuesday night, setting up a semi-final showdown against Novak Djokovic on Friday, in what will be one of the most eagerly-anticipated matches in years.
“I believe in myself all the time. I would say that’s the most important thing — not only for me, I would say for everyone, believing in yourself. I always think that I’m going to play these kinds of matches at this level. I would say that’s the key to everything… with a joy. That’s the key,” Alcaraz said on-court when asked how he produced such a strong performance.
His clash against Djokovic will be their second overall and first at a major. It pits a young champion versus a legend.
Speaking on playing Djokovic in the semifinals, Alcaraz said: “This match, it is one everyone wants to watch. I would say it will be a really good match to play and to watch as well. I really want to play this match well.
“I always say that if you want to be the best, you have to beat the best. Novak Djokovic right now is one of the best players in the world.
“It is going to be a really tough match for me but I am really looking forward to playing that match.”
If Alcaraz defeats Djokovic to reach his second major final, he will retain the No. 1 ATP Ranking following the tournament. Should Djokovic win, he could reclaim the top spot by winning his third Roland Garros title.
–IANS
bc/cs
