Damien Kayat previews Carlos Alcaraz Garfia vs Stefanos Tsitsipas and Novak Djokovic vs Karen Khachanov in the quarter-finals of the French Open, on the 7th of June 2023
2023 ATP Tour
Grand Slam Tennis
French Open
Stade Roland Garros, Paris, France (Outdoor Clay)
Selected Quarter-finals – 7th June
Carlos Alcaraz Garcia 2/9 | Stefanos Tsitsipas 10/3
This looks like an absolute classic in the making. Spanish wunderkind Carlos Alcaraz Garfia has the opportunity to really cement his status as the number one player in the world this week. The reigning US Open champion has looked absolutely sensational in Paris, playing some of the most exhilarating tennis you are likely to see.
He had that minor hiccup against American Taro Daniel (he inexplicably dropped the 2nd set of that match). But since then he has looked every bit the dynamo that we saw in New York last year. His 4th round win against Lorenzo Musetti was arguably his most complete victory of the season. After dropping the first two games of the match, the Spaniard reeled of 18 of the last 23 games.
He struck an incredible 42 winners to improve his barely believable 2023 record to 34-3. He is really living up to his billing as the new the king of clay. But next up he will face a real challenge from Roland Garros expert Stefanos Tsitsipas.
24-year-old Greek Stefanos Tsitsipas is into the final eight at Roland Garros for the 3rd time in his career. The 2021 runner-up was also a semi-finalist back in 2020. I think it’s fair to say that he feels super comfy on these courts.
I think he has struggled to regroup following his straight-sets defeat to Djokovic in the final of this year’s Aussie Open. I think the pressure of being one of the greatest players to not win a Slam is weighing on him somewhat. But I did have a pre-tournament feeling that the Greek could turn that adversity around this year. And it looks as if I was right.
He has won 12 consecutive sets since dropping the first set against Jiri Vesely. And he needed less than two hours to vanquish Austrian qualifier Sebastian Ofner. He has barely given anyone a sniff with an underrated serve that allows him to dictate play. But the Greek will need to correct a pretty substantial head-to-head disparity if he wishes to reach his 3rd French Open semi-final.
Verdict: Tsitsipas to win in five at 17/2
Alcaraz leads their head-to-head 4-0. This included a straight-sets win at this year’s Barcelona Open. I feel very torn here. I can’t ignore the performances of Alcaraz this fortnight. His unrivalled athleticism and ability to hit winners from every conceivable angle is a joy to behold.
But I had a pre-tournament inkling about Tsitsipas and he has looked imperious thus far. I think that he could pull off a substantial upset here. He is battle-hardened and his serve has looked rock solid this year. But I expect this one to go all the way.
Novak Djokovic 1/12 | Karen Khachanov 7/1
I almost feel slightly silly for harboring any doubts about the Serb. He hasn’t won a tournament since this year’s Aussie Open and he has also been nursing a few ‘niggles’. But the Serb has looked utterly ruthless in his quest to become the leading Major winner in history.
He is yet to drop a set this week and is fresh off a commanding showing against Juan Pablo Varillas. He hit 35 winners and won a staggering 84% of his first-serve points against the Peruvian. Djokovic is aiming to win his 3rd Paris title and he hasn’t shown a semblance of nerves thus far.
Why would he? He does have 22 Grand Slam titles to his name. He has received some hostile treatment this fortnight, but I think he thrives in an antagonistic atmosphere.
Karen Khachanov has emerged as one of the stoutest opponents in all of Grand Slam tennis. He will be aiming to reach his 3rd successive Grand Slam semi-final this week. And it hasn’t been plain-sailing for the Russian. He needed to claw his way back from two sets down against Lestienne in his opening match.
He has also been pushed to four sets by Kokkinakis and Sonego. His victory over Sonego took his year-to-date record to a respectable 23-10. He reached the semi-finals in Miami and had a decent quarterfinal run in Madrid. These slower surfaces really suit him to the bone. He is able to use his exceptional defensive abilities to pull off some amazing ‘gets’.
I think his superior physical attributes make him ideally suited to Slams. He can drop a set but still grind his opponents down. But this will certainly be a massive step up in class for the Russian.
Verdict: Djokovic to win in four sets at 2/1
Djokovic holds a commanding 8-1 head-to-head record against Khachanov. Khachanov has only won three sets against Djokovic in his career. The Serb actually beat the Russian four times last year. So, the Russian is going to need to overcome a significant inferiority complex this week.
I think he will make it tough for Djokovic. He is grinding out results and making very few errors at the moment. But I just think Djokovic’s know-how will help him to a four-set win.
