Alcaraz, Sinner face big tests to set up dream French Open final

PARIS : The French Open men's singles semi-finals take centre stage at Roland Garros on Friday.

Defending champion Carlos Alcaraz meets Italian eighth seed Lorenzo Musetti in a rematch of their Monte Carlo final and Rome semi-final, both of which the Spaniard won to arrive in Paris with the perfect preparation.

World number one Jannik Sinner plays 24-times Grand Slam champion Novak Djokovic looking for a fourth straight win over the Serbian to edge their head-to-head record after a ninth meeting.

ALCARAZ PEAKING AT RIGHT TIME

If there were lingering questions about Alcaraz's ability to match Sinner's efficiency after a couple of unconvincing matches at Roland Garros, they were emphatically dismissed by the second seed when he crushed American Tommy Paul last time out.

The four-times Grand Slam winner will head to Court Philippe Chatrier as the firm favourite on the back of five straight victories over Italian Musetti since losing a three-set thriller in the 2022 Hamburg final.

"Carlos has always had the level, the problem is it's hard to produce it in every match," the Spaniard's coach Juan Carlos Ferrero said.

"We know when he plays positively, bravely, when he plays without fear, he's a player with a potential that is still yet to be realised.

"But you also have to see the other side of it: pressure, tension, fear, difficulties, opponents, a tournament you want to win more than others, the importance we all put on it ... all these things also come into play."

Musetti, who won the Olympic bronze medal on the red dirt of Roland Garros, will be buoyed by making at least the semi-finals at the four biggest claycourt events this season.

"It's going to be a beautiful battle," Alcaraz said.

"We're both playing great tennis. Monte Carlo