Alcaraz fends off Fritz to advance to Paris semi-finals

Carlos Alcaraz produced another miracle in the French capital as the seven-time Grand Slam champion fended off two match points to beat Taylor Fritz and reach the Paris Masters semi-finals on Friday.

The 23-year-old fought back to win 6-7 (10/12), 7-5, 6-3 to advance to the last four of the event for the first time.

He faces former world number two Casper Ruud today after the Norwegian eliminated Portuguese Nuno Borges 7-6 (7/5), 6-4.

Carlos Alcaraz of Spain celebrates winning his quarter-final match against Taylor Fritz at the ATP Paris Masters tennis tournament yesterday.

Photo: EPA

In scenes reminiscent of his iconic French Open final comeback win over Jannik Sinner last season, when he saved three championship points, Alcaraz again wowed the crowd in Paris as he snatched another improbable victory from the jaws of defeat.

“Probably this match is going to be one of the most special matches that I ever played, and I’m going to remember this match for a long time,” Alcaraz said.

Despite only playing one match en route to the quarter-finals, Alcaraz showed no signs of rust as he seized his first break opportunity in the fifth game of the opening set, whipping a forehand passing shot around the stranded Fritz. The Spaniard’s serve then started to wobble and Fritz pounced to break to love and level at 5-5.

In a tie-break of thrills and spills, both players had set points come and go before Alcaraz dumped a forehand wide to cede the opener to the Californian.

After recovering from 0-40 to hold early in the second set, Alcaraz pointed to his ear and held his fist aloft in a bid to get the Parisian crowd going — a call-back to his five-set Roland Garros epic.

He continued to struggle to make inroads on Fritz’s serve and it was the American who produced the first break of the set in the seventh game.

Alcaraz staved off a match point and then secured a hold that kept his campaign alive with a sensational backhand slice from well wide of his own tramlines.

“After that game... I started to enjoy it because I just thought I pulled off great shots, great points, I started to smile, I started to bring the energy from the people to the match,” Alcaraz said.

A fine passing shot saved a second match point in the next game before Alcaraz wiped out the break and then completed his Houdini act by breaking Fritz again to set up a decider. Alcaraz had a chokehold on the match and went in front 3-1 in the third set when Fritz pushed a volley wide.

Alcaraz still had to save break points in a match that always threatened another twist but, as it rumbled toward a conclusion, he brought up two match points on his own serve, sealing the first with a powerful forehand that Fritz could only get a frame on.