‘Frightening’ Carlos Alcaraz delivers first-set clinic against Stefanos Tsitsipas in French Open quarter-final

A “frightening” Carlos Alcaraz delivered a first-set clinic against Stefanos Tsitsipas in the pair’s French Open quarter-final.

Alcaraz took the opener 6-2, but it was the manner in which he did so that so stunned the Roland-Garros crowd during Tuesday’s night match.

It seemed that most points involved gasps from fans inside Court Philippe-Chatrier at either the Spaniard’s skill, or power – or both – as he served up a masterclass in court craft and execution.

First, there was an astonishing down-the-line forehand winner that Alcaraz pulled off from way downtown, and that sealed a double break over Tsitsipas to go 5-2 up and on the verge of the set.

“Oh, stop it!” Simon Reed, on Eurosport commentary alongside Tim Henman, exclaimed.

“This is a brilliant start. Frightening.”

Alcaraz then came out to serve for the opener, and pulled off two quite brilliant drop shots in back-to-back points to take him to 0-30, and soon after the set.

The second drop shot left his coach Juan Carlos Ferrero smiling, which Henman said was “hardly surprising”, given how Alcaraz was playing.

The world No. 1 continued in the same vein in set two, serve and volleying before showing beautiful touch to kill a volley into the open court.

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