Olympics tennis: Alcaraz beats Paul, Musetti beats Zverev

Alcaraz, Djokovic, Musetti and Auger-Aliassime reach the men’s semifinals in Olympic tennis

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Carlos Alcaraz of Spain celebrates a point against Tommy Paul, of United States during their men’s quarter-final match at the Roland Garros stadium, at the 2024 Summer Olympics, Thursday, Aug. 1, 2024, in Paris, France. (AP Photo/Manu Fernandez)

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Serbia’s Novak Djokovic receives medical treatment during his match against against Stefanos Tsitsipas of Greece during their men’s quarter-final match at the Roland Garros stadium, at the 2024 Summer Olympics, Thursday, Aug. 1, 2024, in Paris, France. (AP Photo/Manu Fernandez)

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Lorenzo Musetti of Italy celebrates after defeating Alexander Zverev of Germany in their men’s singles quarterfinals match, at the 2024 Summer Olympics, Thursday, Aug.1, 2024, at the Roland Garros stadium in Paris, France. (AP Photo/Andy Wong)

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Felix Auger-Aliassime of Canada reacts after scoring a point against Casper Ruud of Norway during their men’s singles quarterfinals tennis match, at the 2024 Summer Olympics, Thursday, Aug.1, 2024, at the Roland Garros stadium in Paris, France. (AP Photo/Andy Wong)

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Spain’s Queen Letizia, center, applauds from the stands during the match between Carlos Alcaraz of Spain and Tommy Paul, of United States during their men’s quarter-final match at the Roland Garros stadium, at the 2024 Summer Olympics, Thursday, Aug. 1, 2024, in Paris, France. (AP Photo/Manu Fernandez)

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Alexander Zverev of Germany cools his head with ice during a break as he plays against Lorenzo Musetti of Italy during their men’s singles quarterfinals match, at the 2024 Summer Olympics, Thursday, Aug.1, 2024, at the Roland Garros stadium in Paris, France. (AP Photo/Andy Wong)

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Tommy Paul, of United States returns the ball against Carlos Alcaraz of Spain during their men’s quarter-final match at the Roland Garros stadium, at the 2024 Summer Olympics, Thursday, Aug. 1, 2024, in Paris, France. (AP Photo/Manu Fernandez)

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Carlos Alcaraz of Spain preparest o serve against Tommy Paul, of United States during their men’s quarter-final match at the Roland Garros stadium, at the 2024 Summer Olympics, Thursday, Aug. 1, 2024, in Paris, France. (AP Photo/Manu Fernandez)

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Tommy Paul, of United States prepares to serve against Carlos Alcaraz of Spain during their men’s quarter-final match at the Roland Garros stadium, at the 2024 Summer Olympics, Thursday, Aug. 1, 2024, in Paris, France. (AP Photo/Manu Fernandez)

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Lorenzo Musetti of Italy is greeted by Alexander Zverev of Germany after winning in their men’s singles quarterfinals match, at the 2024 Summer Olympics, Thursday, Aug.1, 2024, at the Roland Garros stadium in Paris, France. (AP Photo/Andy Wong)

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Donna Vekic of Croatia reacts after winning against Anna Karolina Schmiedlova of Slovakia during their women’s Singles Semi-final at the Roland Garros stadium, at the 2024 Summer Olympics, Thursday, Aug. 1, 2024, in Paris, France. (AP Photo/Manu Fernandez)

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Alexander Zverev of Germany pulls his shirt after losing a point to Lorenzo Musetti of Italy during their men’s singles quarterfinals match, at the 2024 Summer Olympics, Thursday, Aug.1, 2024, at the Roland Garros stadium in Paris, France. (AP Photo/Andy Wong)

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Carlos Alcaraz of Spain returns the ball against Tommy Paul, of United States during their men’s quarter-final match at the Roland Garros stadium, at the 2024 Summer Olympics, Thursday, Aug. 1, 2024, in Paris, France. (AP Photo/Manu Fernandez)

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Tommy Paul, of United States leaves the court after losing against Carlos Alcaraz of Spain during their men’s quarter-final match at the Roland Garros stadium, at the 2024 Summer Olympics, Thursday, Aug. 1, 2024, in Paris, France. (AP Photo/Manu Fernandez)

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Felix Auger-Aliassime of Canada returns a backhand shot to Casper Ruud of Norway during their men’s singles quarterfinals tennis match, at the 2024 Summer Olympics, Thursday, Aug.1, 2024, at the Roland Garros stadium in Paris, France. (AP Photo/Andy Wong)

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Casper Ruud of Norway reacts as he plays against Felix Auger-Aliassime of Canada during their men’s singles quarterfinals tennis match, at the 2024 Summer Olympics, Thursday, Aug.1, 2024, at the Roland Garros stadium in Paris, France. (AP Photo/Andy Wong)

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Serbia’s Novak Djokovic reacts in pain in his leg during his match against against Stefanos Tsitsipas of Greece during their men’s quarter-final match at the Roland Garros stadium, at the 2024 Summer Olympics, Thursday, Aug. 1, 2024, in Paris, France. (AP Photo/Manu Fernandez)

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Donna Vekic of Croatia, right, reacts after winning against Anna Karolina Schmiedlova of Slovakia during their women’s Singles Semi-final at the Roland Garros stadium, at the 2024 Summer Olympics, Thursday, Aug. 1, 2024, in Paris, France. (AP Photo/Manu Fernandez)

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By HOWARD FENDRICH

PARIS (AP) — Carlos Alcaraz says he doesn’t feel unbeatable at Roland Garros, the site of the Paris Olympics tennis competition and the French Open title he won last month. His opponents might disagree.

Alcaraz ran his winning streak at the place to 11 matches and became the youngest man to reach the singles semifinals at a Summer Games since Novak Djokovic in 2008, getting past Tommy Paul of the U.S. 6-3, 7-6 (7) at Court Philippe Chatrier on Thursday.

“I had a really great two weeks in Roland Garros — playing great tennis here, feeling great moving, feeling great hitting the ball. So (I came) here having the same feeling,” said Alcaraz, a 21-year-old Spaniard. “But I can lose against everybody. I have to respect every player.”

In the semifinals Friday, Alcaraz will take on Felix Auger-Aliassime of Canada, a 6-4, 6-7 (8), 6-3 winner over three-time major runner-up Casper Ruud of Norway, and the 37-year-old Djokovic will meet Lorenzo Musetti of Italy. Djokovic felt pain in his surgically repaired right knee while beating Stefanos Tsitsipas 6-3, 7-6 (3) on Thursday night and said he’s concerned about how he’ll be against Musetti.

Musetti eliminated Tokyo Games gold medalist Alexander Zverev of Germany 7-5, 7-5.

“One of my best matches, so far, of my career,” said the 22-year-old Musetti, who reached his first major semifinal at Wimbledon last month before losing to Djokovic.

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The women’s final Saturday will be between Zheng Qinwen of China and Donna Vekic of Croatia. Zheng defeated No. 1 Iga Swiatek of Poland 6-2, 7-5, while Vekic was a 6-4, 6-0 winner against Anna Karolina Schmiedlova of Slovakia.

Alcaraz already owns four Grand Slam titles and is just a few days older than Djokovic was when he took home a bronze for Serbia 16 years ago in Beijing.

This is only the latest in a series of “youngest since” or “youngest ever” achievements for Alcaraz, whose recent championships at the French Open and Wimbledon raised his Grand Slam count to four. As it is, he was the youngest man with a major championship on hard, grass and clay courts. In 2022, he became the first teenager to reach No. 1 in the ATP rankings, getting there after winning the U.S. Open.

And so on.

“It’s been a while since Alcaraz lost a match here,” Paul said, “so I would say that he’s probably the favorite, right?”

Alcaraz and Paul, whose best showing at a major was a semifinal run at the 2023 Australian Open, are developing a bit of a rivalry. Alcaraz is now 5-2 head-to-head, which includes defeating Paul a few weeks ago in the Wimbledon quarterfinals.

This one, played at Chatrier stadium with Spain’s queen in the crowd, could have become a lot more complicated.

Paul nearly pushed the match to a third set.

“A really intense match,” Alcaraz said.

Paul served for the second at 5-3 and got within two points of taking it a couple of times there, but he couldn’t get closer, including missing a volley off a dipping cross-court passing shot by Alcaraz, then pushing a backhand long. Alcaraz eventually broke with an on-the-run forehand passing winner after Paul smacked a terrific forehand approach shot to a corner.

The crowd went wild. Alcaraz pointed his right index finger to his ear, then raised that fist.

In the tiebreaker, Paul earned a set point at 7-6, and he conjured up a drop half-volley that Alcaraz sprinted to, then slid, and guided a down-the-line backhand that went off the edge of Paul’s racket frame and toward the stands. Again, Alcaraz gestured as the spectators roared.

On Alcaraz’s second match point, Paul yanked a forehand wide, and that was that.

“It’s not a secret that, right now,” Paul said, “Alcaraz is kind of like the golden standard.”

After losing in singles, Paul went back out on court and teamed with Taylor Fritz to reach the doubles semifinals by beating Andy Murray and Dan Evans 6-2, 6-4 in the last match of Murray’s career.

The three-time Grand Slam champion and the only player in Olympics tennis history with two singles golds had announced that he would retire after the Paris Games.

“I knew that moment was coming for the last few months. If it didn’t happen today, that was going to be in a couple days’ time, and I was ready for it. Obviously, I was emotional, because it’s the last time I will play a competitive match,” the 37-year-old Murray said. “But I am genuinely happy, just now. I’m happy with how it’s finished.”

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AP Olympics: https://apnews.com/hub/2024-paris-olympic-games

Olympic Hightlights

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FILE - South Africa’s Jacques Freitag competes in the men’s high jump of the 2004 Olympic Games, in the Olympic Stadium in Athens, Friday Aug. 20, 2004. Local media is reporting that South African police have discovered the body of former high jump world champion Jacques Freitag after he went missing last month. The reports said the 42-year-old, who won the 2003 world title in Paris and competed at the 2004 Olympics, had been shot. (AP Photo/David J. Phillip, File)

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FILE - Ilona Maher of USA is tackled by Sharni Williams of Australia in a semifinal of the Rugby World Cup 7’s championship held in Cape Town, South Africa, Sunday, Sept. 11, 2022. The main task for Maher, the breakout social media star on TikTok at the Tokyo Olympics, is winning a medal in Paris. (AP Photo/Halden Krog, File)

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FILE - Jacques Freitag of South Africa waves his national flag after he won the Men’s high jump event at the World Athletics Championships, at the Stade de France in Saint Denis, north of Paris, Monday, Aug. 25, 2003. Local media is reporting that South African police have discovered the body of former high jump world champion Jacques Freitag after he went missing last month. The reports said the 42-year-old, who won the 2003 world title in Paris and competed at the 2004 Olympics, had been shot. (AP Photo/Thomas Kienzle, File)

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Sammy Sullivan of USA in action during HSBC rugby sevens series in Singapore, on May 4, 2024. The anthem played as Army officer Sammy Sullivan stood to attention and saluted beside her U.S. rugby teammates before a gold-medal game in Hong Kong against Olympic champion New Zealand. No prizes for guessing where her mind may have drifted to: Paris in July. (AP Photo/Suhaimi Abdullah)

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USA Water Polo Women’s Senior National Team attacker Ryann Neushul, left, trains at Long Beach City College Thursday, Jan. 18, 2024, in Long Beach, Calif. Following in the footsteps of two older sisters who won gold with the U.S. women’s water polo team, Ryann Neushul is making her Olympic debut in Paris this summer. (AP Photo/Damian Dovarganes)

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Iranian wrestler Iman Mahdavi, 28, practices at the Lotta Club Seggiano gym, in Pioltello , northern Italy, Wednesday, Feb. 28, 2024. (AP Photo/Luca Bruno)

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FILE - Steven van de Velde of the Netherlands competes during the CEV Beach Volley Nations Cup Vienna 2022 men’s semifinal game against Austria at the Red Bull Beach Arena in Vienna, Austria, Sunday, Aug. 7, 2022. Van de Velde, convicted and imprisoned eight years ago for raping an underage girl in England has qualified for the Paris Olympics. (AP Photo/Florian Schroetter, File)