Carlos alcaraz

Novak Djokovic and Carlos Alcaraz will play in the French Open semifinals on Friday in the most anticipated match of the tournament. Each man advanced with a quarterfinal win on Tuesday. Djokovic, eyeing a record-breaking 23rd Grand Slam men’s singles title, rallied past 11th-seeded Russian Karen Khachanov 4-6, 7-6 (0), 6-2, 6-4. The Serb reached his 45th career major semifinal, one shy of Roger Federer‘s men’s record. Later Tuesday, top seed Alcaraz crushed fifth seed Stefanos Tsitsipas of Greece 6-2, 6-1, 7-6 (5) to consolidate his status as the favorite in Friday’s showdown. “This match, everyone wants to watch,” Alcaraz said. “I really wanted to play this match as well. I always say that if you want to be the best, you have to beat the best.” FRENCH OPEN DRAWS: Alcaraz, who at last year’s U.S. Open became the first male teen to win a major since Rafael Nadal in 2005, is at this event the youngest man to be the top seed at a major since Boris Becker at 1987 Wimbledon. The Djokovic-Alcaraz semifinal will produce the clear favorite for Sunday’s final given left-handed 14-time French Open champion Nadal is out this year with a hip injury and No. 2 seed Daniil Medvedev lost in the first round. Djokovic and Nadal share the record 22 men’s major titles. Djokovic and Alcaraz met once, with Alcaraz winning last year on clay in Madrid 6-7 (5), 7-5, 7-6 (5). “[Alcaraz] brings a lot of intensity on the court,” Djokovic said, before breaking into a smile. “Reminds me of someone fro...

Novak Djokovic celebrates after scoring a point against top-seeded Carlos Alcaraz during their French Open semifinal on Friday in Paris. Djokovic beat a cramping Alcaraz, 6-3, 5-7, 6-1, 6-1, to reach his 34th major final and can win a record 23rd Grand Slam title on Sunday. (AP Photo/Christophe Ena) By HOWARD FENDRICH AP Tennis Writer PARIS — It was Carlos Alcaraz, not Novak Djokovic, who conjured up the “How did he do that?!” shot in the French Open semifinals that went viral in minutes and will be talked about for years. It was Alcaraz, 20, not Djokovic, 36, who had youth on his side, of course, the widest gap between Grand Slam semifinalists since 1991. It was Alcaraz, not Djokovic, who complained to his coach in the early going on an 85-degree afternoon in Court Philippe Chatrier that the points weren’t long enough to wear down his opponent. And yet it was Alcaraz, not Djokovic, who succumbed to the heat and the intensity and, by his own admission, the nerves of the occasion. It was Alcaraz, not Djokovic, whose body broke down. And so it is the third-seeded Djokovic, not No. 1 Alcaraz, who will play on in Paris with a chance to add to his trophy collection. Using every bit of his superiority in experience and fitness, Djokovic beat a cramping Alcaraz, 6-3, 5-7, 6-1, 6-1, to reach his 34th major final. That allowed Djokovic to move closer to a 23rd Grand Slam championship, which would break a tie with rival Rafael Nadal for the men’s record. “I can understand the emotio...