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French Open 2023: Carlos Alcaraz and Novak Djokovic aim to set up semi-final meeting

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Published in Tennis
Monday, 05 June 2023 12:28

World number one Carlos Alcaraz and Novak Djokovic will aim to set up a tantalising French Open semi-final encounter at Roland Garros on Tuesday.

US Open winner Alcaraz, 20, plays Greek fifth seed Stefanos Tsitsipas in the night match on Court Philippe Chatrier.

Djokovic continues his bid for a record 23rd men's Grand Slam title against Russian 11th seed Karen Khachanov.

In the women's quarter-finals, Belarusian second seed Aryna Sabalenka meets Ukraine's Elina Svitolina.

The winner of that match will play Russian Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova or Czech opponent Karolina Muchova, who are first up on Philippe Chatrier from 10:00 BST.

Elsewhere, Britain's Neal Skupski and Dutch team-mate Wesley Koolhof - the top seeds in the men's doubles - take on Spain's Marcel Granollers and Argentine Horacio Zeballos for a place in the semi-finals.

In the opening day of the wheelchair events, three time champion Alfie Hewett begins against Tom Egberink of the Netherlands.

Doubles partner and two-time runner-up Gordon Reid plays another Dutchman, Mikael Scheffers, while fellow Briton Lucy Shuker faces Dana Mathewson in the women's competition.

Alcaraz and Djokovic on collision course

Excitement over a potential semi-final showdown between Alcaraz and Djokovic has been building with each passing round since the draw was made at Roland Garros.

The Spaniard, who won his first major at Flushing Meadows in September, arrived in Paris as men's world number one after replacing Djokovic at the top of the rankings last month.

On an 11-match winning run at Grand Slams after injury ruled him out of the Australian Open - won by Djokovic in January - Alcaraz faces his sternest test yet when he plays 2021 runner-up Tsitsipas in his quarter-final (19:15 BST)

Tsitsipas, winless in four previous meetings following his loss in April's Barcelona final, spoke highly of his opponent earlier in the tournament, describing Alcaraz as "a breath of fresh air" and praising his "positive energy".

"Right now he's one of the biggest obstacles and challenges for any player to compete against," Tsitsipas said of Alcaraz.

"It pushes us all to be better. Rivalries like this, they are the toughest thing you can get in our sport."

Walking out for Tuesday's night session on Philippe Chatrier, they will already know whether two-time champion Djokovic awaits in the last four.

The Serbian third seed has won all 12 sets he has played as he seeks to overtake the absent Rafael Nadal by winning a 23rd major this week.

In his record 17th French Open quarter-final, he will look to deny Khachanov a third successive Grand Slam semi-final appearance - and the 36-year-old insists he is not looking beyond that match.

"Khachanov in the quarter-finals. I know what my goal is here," Djokovic said. "I'm trying to stay mentally the course and not look too far [ahead]."

Ukraine's Svitolina will not shake Sabalenka's hand

A meeting with Sabalenka pits Svitolina against a third successive opponent who she will not shake hands with at Roland Garros - her first Slam since Russia invaded her country in February 2022.

In the absence of a handshake with Russian player Daria Kasatkina in the fourth round, the pair exchanged a thumbs-up at the end of the match, with Svitolina acknowledging the 26-year-old because she has been "brave" to criticise her nation's actions.

The Ukrainian said "everything will be the same" when she meets Australian Open champion Sabalenka, after that straight-set win extended her stay in her first major since becoming a mother in October.

Since returning to action in April, Svitolina has established an eight-match winning streak, claiming the Strasbourg title in May and donating her prize money from that event to Ukrainian children.

Sabalenka, meanwhile, again opted out of attending an open news conference after overcoming Sloane Stephens, having said she did not "feel safe" during her post-match duties last Wednesday.

Through to the last eight at Roland Garros for the first time as she aims for consecutive Slam successes, the Belarusian is yet to lose a set following her win in the tournament's first women's night session match on Sunday.

"Svitolina is playing really great tennis here in Paris, moving well," Sabalenka said. "Another player [that's] going to run a lot and put a lot of balls back, and I just have to be patient and wait for that perfect shot to finish the point."

Either 2021 runner-up Pavlyuchenkova or Muchova, through to her first major quarter-final, will await in the last four.

Russian Pavlyuchenkova, who lost to Barbora Krejcikova in the Roland Garros final two years ago, has dropped outside the world's top 300 after a knee injury sidelined her for five months last year.

Muchova, an Australian Open semi-finalist in 2021 and two-time Wimbledon quarter-finalist, has progressed beyond the third round on the Paris clay for the first time.

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