Saturday, December 21, 2024

French Open semifinals: Carlos Alcaraz, Alexander Zverev win, head to Sunday’s final at Roland-Garros

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It will be Carlos Alcaraz vs. Alexander Zverev in the 2024 French Open men’s singles final (Sunday, 9 a.m. ET; NBC).

Zverev finished off Casper Ruud in four sets, 6-2, 2-6, 4-6, 6-2 to move on to his first final at Roland-Garros. The 27-year-old German has reached at least the semifinal round every year since 2021.

This will be Zverev’s second appearance in a Grand Slam final after falling to Dominic Thiem in the 2020 U.S. Open final.

Alcaraz advanced after a five-set thriller in the first semifinal over Jannik Sinner, 2-6, 6-3, 3-6, 6-4, 6-3. Despite the loss, Sinner will ascent to the No. 1 spot in the ATP rankings after the French Open. Meanwhile, the 21-year-old Spanish star will get a crack at the third leg of the career Grand Slam on Sunday, after having won Wimbledon in 2023 and the US Open in 2022.

In an event that has been dominated by Rafael Nadal over the past two decades, this will be just the second time since Nadal’s first French Open win in 2005 that a member of the “Big 3” (Nadal, Novak Djokovic and Roger Federer) won’t win the tournament. Stan Wawrinka won the French Open men’s singles title back in 2015.

Live98 updates

  • Zverev closes out Ruud with his 19th ace of the match and will now face Carlos Alcaraz in Sunday’s final.

    Ruud 6 2 4 2

    Zverev 2 6 6 6

  • Zverev pulling away now. He’s on the verge of moving on to his first final at Roland-Garros.

    Ruud 6 2 4 2

    Zverev 2 6 6 5

  • Each time Ruud gets close, Zverev pulls a way a little more. He takes the sixth game with an ace and approaches finishing off Ruud.

    Ruud 6 2 4 2

    Zverev 2 6 6 4

  • Ruud keeps fighting as he takes the fifth game.

    Ruud 6 2 4 2

    Zverev 2 6 6 3

  • Zverev with a fantastic return to take the fourth game and move closer to taking this match.

    Ruud 6 2 4 1

    Zverev 2 6 6 3

  • Ruud roars back in the fourth set and takes the third game

    Ruud 6 2 4 1

    Zverev 2 6 6 2

  • Ruud is having a spirited disagreement with the umpire over where on the line the ball hit, and is seemingly arguing about the angle of the ball. His appeal does not convince the umpire and Zverev goes up and takes the game.

    Ruud 6 2 4 0

    Zverev 2 6 6 2

  • Zverev gets one just inside the line and Ruud hits it into the net, giving Zverev the first game win in what could be the final set…if Zverev keeps this up.

    Ruud 6 2 4 0

    Zverev 2 6 6 1

  • An adventurous 10th game sees Zverev start with a pair of aces, then double fault. But he rebounded to finish off the third set with two more aces and is now a set away from advancing to face Carlos Alcaraz in Sunday’s men’s final.

    Ruud 6 2 4

    Zverev 2 6 6

  • Zverev puts one into the net and Ruud takes the ninth game. Zverev will serve looking to go up 2 sets to 1.

    Ruud 6 2 4

    Zverev 2 6 5

  • Zverev moves to within a game of taking the third set by blowing an ace by Ruud.

    Ruud 6 2 3

    Zverev 2 6 5

  • Ruud not going down without a fight in this set. He battles to take the seventh game.

    Ruud 6 2 3

    Zverev 2 6 4

  • Zverev moves closer to winning the third set by taking the sixth game.

    Ruud 6 2 2

    Zverev 2 6 4

  • Zverev wins his second straight game and takes the advantage in the third set.

    Ruud 6 2 2

    Zverev 2 6 3

  • We’re back to a tied third set as Zverev wins the fourth game.

    Ruud 6 2 2

    Zverev 2 6 2

  • Ruud goes up by taking the third game in the third set.

    Ruud 6 2 2

    Zverev 2 6 1

  • Zverev answers back with an ace to even up the third set.

    Ruud 6 2 1

    Zverev 2 6 1

  • Ruud bounces back and takes the first game of the third set.

    Ruud 6 2 1

    Zverev 2 6 0

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