Alcaraz storms through to semi-final with Musetti

Defending French Open champion Carlos Alcaraz dominated 12th seed Tommy Paul. He reached the semi-finals at Roland Garros with a quick victory.

Alcaraz needed just 53 minutes to take a two-set lead. He lost only one game during this time.

The third set was more competitive. Paul fought hard but Alcaraz broke for a 5-4 lead. He finished the match with a score of 6-0, 6-1, 6-4.

Next, Alcaraz will face Lorenzo Musetti for a spot in the final. Musetti, the eighth seed, defeated Frances Tiafoe earlier on Tuesday.

Musetti won with scores of 6-2, 4-6, 7-5, and 6-2. This is his second Grand Slam semi-final appearance after Wimbledon in 2024.

Tiafoe was the first American in a French Open quarter-final in 22 years. He took the second set after losing the first but struggled afterward.

Musetti's style proved too strong for Tiafoe as he fell behind.

After his match, Alcaraz joked about the short duration of play. Fans enjoyed watching him dominate on Court Philippe-Chatrier.

He described it as "one of those matches where everything went in." Former British number one Greg Rusedski called Alcaraz's performance "magnificent."

Alcaraz had previously gone four sets in his last three matches. However, he stepped up against Paul with an impressive display.

His powerful groundstrokes and clever shots overwhelmed Paul early on. The American had no answers until the third set when his serve improved.

Despite this improvement, Paul did not earn any break points during the match. In contrast, Alcaraz had 17 chances and converted six.

Lorenzo Musetti has faced Alcaraz twice on clay this year and lost both times. However, he has had an excellent season overall with a record of 19 wins on clay.

Musetti plays with a one-handed backhand and enjoys his "retro style." He feels he is currently experiencing "the best period" of his life.

He recently learned that his partner Veronica is pregnant with their second child. Becoming a father changed Musetti's attitude on court significantly.

After defeating Tiafoe, he spoke about personal growth both on and off the court.

He said becoming a father gave him extra responsibility and made him more professional in all aspects of life.

Musetti emphasized that family is always important to him, even when they are not present at matches.

During his last match against Tiafoe, he accidentally hit a line judge with a ball kicked away from him.

He received a warning for this incident under tournament rules regarding player conduct.