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It was a busy day on the courts of Roland Garros, highlighted by past, future and current stars of world tennis.
First, Spaniard Carlos Alcaraz, competing in his first Olympics, advanced to the semi-finals after defeating American Tommy Paul 6-3, 7-6(7) in a scintillating match marked by fabulous returns from both players.
Alcaraz and Paul had only met five times before their Olympic match on Thursday, with Alcaraz having the advantage with three wins. But it felt like something was brewing between the two of them. Alcaraz won the first set 6-3 in 39 minutes, but Paul came alive in the second set. He managed to take a 3-0 lead over Alcaraz, a rare feat for any player. Alcaraz got on the board, but trailing 5-2, he was staring down a third set.
Then it was Alcaraz’s turn to come back to life. He stopped Paul in his tracks, holding at 5-3 then 5-4. By the time Alcaraz came all the way back and tied the set at 5-5, Paul’s surge was a distant memory. But Paul still had some left in the tank. He won the next match without Alcaraz scoring a single point, guaranteeing at least a tiebreak.
A tiebreak is exactly what happened next. And for a tie-break, it was exciting. Tied 3-3 after six points, Alcaraz won the next two, but Paul made another comeback to tie it 5-5. Then Alcaraz had a match point at 6-5, but Paul Again caught up. Paul took a 7-6 lead and could win the set with the next point, but Alcaraz scored one to tie it again.
But it had to end. Alcaraz finally managed to score two points in a row to win the tiebreak 9-7, as well as the set and the match. He reached the semi-finals and is guaranteed to play for a medal (but he is not guaranteed to win one). He will face either the Norwegian Casper Ruud or the Canadian Felix Auger-Aliassime in the semi-final. Ruud and Auger-Aliassime will play later on Thursday.
Novak Djokovic advances
Later Thursday, Novak Djokovic defeated Stefanos Tsitsipas in straight sets to advance to a semifinal match against Lorenzo Musetti on Friday. He did, however, have some knee problems, which he underwent surgery after having to withdraw from the French Open in early June.
“I am concerned about the condition of the knee,” Djokovic said. “I can’t give you exact information, because I don’t have it. I have to go examine the knee now with my physiotherapist and with the tournament medical staff. And then let’s see.”
Where is the United States?
Every discipline in tennis is racing toward the finish, which means we have a much clearer idea of whether the Americans can medal. Paul was the last remaining American competitor in either men’s or women’s singles, so no medals there. Ditto for the women’s doubles (Coco Gauff and Jessica Pegula lost) and the mixed doubles (Gauff and Taylor Fritz lost).
But the American team has better luck in men’s doubles. Paul and Fritz, long-time friends, beat Britons Andy Murray and Daniel Evans in the quarter-finals on Thursday. And the little-known duo of Austin Krajicek and Rajeev Ram, both doubles specialists (Ram is a six-time Grand Slam doubles champion), reaches the final and is assured of a gold or silver medal .
The end of the road for Murray
Murray and Evans’ loss to Paul and Fritz in straight sets on Thursday marked the end of the 37-year-old Murray’s storied career. The nine-time Grand Slam winner announced before the Paris Games that the 2024 Olympics would be his last tournament. Murray won the men’s singles gold medal at the 2012 and 2016 Olympic Games.
“I don’t know exactly what the rest of my life will look like, but I will always stay connected to the sport,” Murray said of his retirement before the Games began. “Initially, I want to be home with my family. I want to spend a lot of time with my kids and my wife, so I won’t be on the road a lot, I know that.”
Naturally, Murray, who left court in tears on Thursday night, injected some British humor into the situation on X.
I never liked tennis anyway.
-Andy Murray (@andy_murray) August 1, 2024