French Open tips: Carlos Alcaraz to get the job done in four against Jannik Sinner
- Derek Bilton
- 5 June 2024
We are getting down to the business end of the French Open and we have a semi-final on Friday that most observers agree should really have been the final.
Bring out the popcorn for Carlos Alcaraz v Jannik Sinner, two incredible talents who are set to rule the game now the era of ‘The Big Three’ is at an end.
It was sad to hear news on Tuesday that Novak Djokovic, the defending champion, had been forced to withdraw in Paris because of a torn medial meniscus sustained during his dramatic five‑set win against Francisco Cerundolo.
Much less sad of course if you rowed in with our ‘Casper Ruud to win the men’s Quarter 1 at 21/10’ advice from last week, as the Norwegian was given a bye to the semis due to Novak’s dodgy knee to get our bet up.
We wish the GOAT well of course, and if he could somehow recovery and win Olympic gold back in Paris later this year – the only big title he has yet to capture – it would be the perfect way to walk away from the sport.
The last time Alcaraz and Sinner played in a Grand Slam, fans were treated to five sets of video game tennis. It was at the 2022 US Open and it was spellbinding.
The Spaniard hit a shot that day in New York from behind his back that I still think about at least once a month!
‘Carlitos’ won that match and the layers have him as a 4/7 favourite to win against the Italian, who is a 27/20 underdog.
The pair are 4-4 in terms of their head-to-head, and very well matched. Sinner is an aggressive baseliner and one of the hardest hitters on the ATP tour.
Alcaraz also has an explosive game, is probably the most athletic player on the Tour and most fun to watch. He made history at the 2022 US Open when he won his first Grand Slam title, becoming the youngest man ever to become World No 1.
There’s clearly respect between them. Alcaraz said of Sinner after his quarter-final win on Tuesday “Thanks to him (Sinner) I push myself to be better, to be a better player”.
Both of these Next Gen stars will be pumped and both will know victory would put them on the brink of a first ever major in Paris.
Both had legit injury concerns going into this event. Sinner was troubled by a hip problem while Alcaraz has had an issue with his right arm that saw him miss a few Masters 1000 events on clay.
When he has played, he has been wearing a compression sleeve but to us, Alcaraz has arguably looked more convincing from a physical standpoint throughout the last 10 days.
Happily, for the purists, Sinner at least seems healthy enough to assume that Friday’s showdown will feature two guys at 100 percent.
Sinner will wake up on Monday as the new World No 1 regardless of what happens between now and Sunday, but the preference here is for Alcaraz and his brand of fearless tennis to get the job done in four.
