CNN
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Carlos Alcaraz reached his second straight final at Roland Garros after Lorenzo Musetti retired in the fourth set of their match on Friday.
Defending champion Alcaraz lost the opening set against Musetti but was leading 4-6, 7-6(3), 6-0, 2-0 when the Italian gave in to his injury struggles and called it a day.
Having won his first French Open title last year, second seed Alcaraz will now face either Novak Djokovic or Jannik Sinner in Sunday’s showpiece with a chance to win his fifth grand slam title.
Though he had already dropped sets in the tournament, the semifinal against Musetti was the first time Alcaraz had trailed at this year’s French Open.
A tight opening set remained on serve until the world No. 7, who has been in the form of his life this clay-court season, broke Alcaraz at 5-4 to take a surprise lead.
The second set was just as much of an even tussle, the pair trading breaks in back-to-back games as the pressure started to mount on Alcaraz. He looked to have gained the advantage when he broke Musetti for a 6-5 lead, only to be instantly pegged back once more.
However, the Spaniard raced into a 6-1 lead in the tie-break that followed and had leveled the contest soon after when Musetti blasted a passing shot into the net.
From there, the momentum swung sharply in Alcaraz’s favor. With the pressure off, he dropped just five points over the course of the third set, capitalizing on his opponent’s physical issues.
Musetti had called on the trainer near the end of the set and received treatment on the top of his left leg. He decided to continue, but lasted only three lopsided games before retiring and handing Alcaraz the victory.
“It’s not great getting through or winning the match like this,” Alcaraz said in his on-court interview. “Lorenzo is a great player, he has done an incredible clay season … I wish him all the best and a (fast) recovery.”
Though not always at the top of his game in the semifinal, Alcaraz now has the chance to cap off a sensational few weeks, having won titles in Monte-Carlo, defeating Musetti in the final, and Rome.
“It’s been three intense weeks but I have just one step to make,” he said. “I’m feeling great, I’m feeling that I’m playing great tennis and have a lot of confidence right now. I’m going to give everything on Sunday.”
Despite only recently turning 22, this will be the fifth grand slam final of Alcaraz’s career, and so far, he has won all of his previous four. Another major title would only cement his status as one of the greatest talents in the sport at the moment and a dominant force on every surface.