Alcaraz saves two match points to reach his first Paris semi-final
Spain’s Carlos Alcaraz saved two match points against Taylor Fritz to reach his first Paris Masters semi-final. The American won the opening set and led 5–3 in the second, but Alcaraz recovered to win in three sets. He credited a calmer approach and the crowd’s support for helping him turn the match around. The match lasted 163 minutes.
Sports··Midday
Two match points cannot stop Alcaraz
Spain’s Carlos Alcaraz saved two match points against American Taylor Fritz to reach his first Paris Masters semi-final. The quarter-final at the Plenitude Arena in France ended 6–7, 7–5, 6–3 after 163 minutes. Alcaraz had spent only 101 minutes on court before this match. A first-round bye and Matteo Berrettini’s withdrawal from their round-of-16 meeting had shortened his route through the tournament. Fritz then pushed him to the brink of defeat before the Spaniard recovered late in the second set.[1], [2]
Fritz’s lead disappears late in the second set
Alcaraz broke serve for a 3–2 lead in the opening set, but could not close it out. Serving for the set, he lost his service game without winning a point, allowing Fritz to draw level at 5–5. A tie-break lasting almost 15 minutes followed, and Fritz converted his third set point. The American broke again after 3–3 in the second set and moved 5–3 ahead. Alcaraz saved one match point on his own serve, then another while Fritz served at 5–4. He broke back and took the set 7–5 after 62 minutes.[1]
An ace finishes the recovery
Alcaraz won four of the first five games of the deciding set, holding twice without dropping a point. He missed an opportunity for another break at 4–1 but finished with an ace on his first match point. Afterwards, he said nerves had affected his opening-set play and credited Fritz’s improvement from the baseline. He described feeling more relaxed after falling 5–3 behind in the second set, allowing him to swing more freely. He also thanked the crowd for its support during the recovery. His next opponent would come from the Casper Ruud–Nuno Borges quarter-final, with a place in the Paris final at stake.[1]
