Carlos Alcaraz and Alexander Zverev are crossing paths again after a recent finals showdown in Madrid. Will Alcaraz get by Zverev again? Or will Zverev return to the semis by taking down Alcaraz?
The 19-year-old Alcaraz is piping hot in the 2022 French Open men’s singles tournament. Apart from his shaky performance in the second round in a 6-1, 6-7 (7-9), 5-7, 7-6 (7-2), 6-4 win over Albert Ramos Vinolas, Alcaraz has been looking sensational thus far in the tournament. Alcaraz rebounded from that testy meeting with Vinolas by dominating Sebastian Korda in the third round (6-4, 6-4, 6-2) and Karen Khachanov in the fourth round (6-1, 6-4, 6-4). And one of the most important things to know about Alcaraz before Wednesday’s showdown with Zverev is that he recently just beat the German. Alcaraz topped Zverev in two sets (6-3, 6-1) at the 2022 Mutua Madrid Open. In that match, Alcaraz won 50 percent of break points (4/8) and 63 percent of return points (24/38).
For the fourth time since 2018, Zverev has made it to the quarterfinals of the French Open. He was a semifinalist here a year ago but lost in that round to Stefanos Tsitsipas. Nevertheless, getting a taste of a final four appearance in a slam event is huge for Zverev, who’s survived some tough tests already at the 2022 French Open. After a win in the first round over Sebastian Ofner in straight sets, Zverev has won two of his next three matches by playing at least four sets. In the second round, he bested Sebastian Baez (2-6, 4-6, 6-1, 6-2, 7-5) before turning away Brandon Nakashima (7-6 (7-2), 6-3, 7-6 [7-5]) in the third round. In his most recent match, Zverev outlasted Bernabe Zapata Miralles (7-6 (13-11), 7-5, 6-3). If anything, those matches have made Zverev so used to pressure in this tournament, and that should help him in the upcoming match against the seeded Alcaraz.
