Carlos Alcaraz dismantles Lorenzo Musetti to reach French Open last eight

In the early days of the journeys of Carlos Alcaraz and Lorenzo Musetti, both players took their first steps on to the ATP Challenger tour during the same period in 2019. The progress of two talented teenagers only a year apart in age naturally led to com-parisons regarding their varied, well‑rounded games and of who would make it to the top.

As they entered Court Philippe-Chatrier on Sunday afternoon, both seeded in the fourth round of a grand slam tournament while in their early twenties, it was a reminder that both players have succeeded but also of how far Alcaraz has outpaced all of his rivals.

With complete ease Alcaraz, the top seed, dismantled the 17th seed Musetti 6-3, 6-2, 6-2 to reach the -quarter-finals of the French Open for the second year in a row. He now stands one round away from a much anticipated showdown with Novak Djokovic, who eased into the quarter-finals by defeating the unseeded Peruvian Juan Pablo -Varillas, with the identical score of 6-3, 6-2, 6-2.

One of the very best clay court -players in the world stands in Alcaraz’s way. He will face -Stefanos Tsitsipas, the fifth seed this year and the 2021 runner-up in Paris, as he looks for a maiden semi-final. Tsitsipas moved past Sebastian Ofner and into the quarter-finals with a 7-5, 6-3, 6-0 win late on Sunday.

For Djokovic, the victory moved him into his 17th career quarter‑final appearance at Roland -Garros, -breaking his tie with Rafael Nadal as the all-time record holder, a dis-tinction that he did not allow himself to linger on for a second.

Next for Djokovic will be another test in Karen Khachanov, the 11th seed who has established himself as a tenacious competitor capable of making deep runs at grand slam tournaments. This event marks