Sinner beats Djokovic, advances to French final

PARIS -- Top-ranked Jannik Sinner beat Novak Djokovic 6-4, 7-5, 7-6 (3) on Friday to set up a French Open final against defending champion Carlos Alcaraz.

Djokovic is the men's record 24-time Grand Slam champion but could not counter Sinner's relentless accuracy and pounding forehands on Court Philippe Chatrier.

Sinner became only the second Italian man to reach the final at Roland Garros after Adriano Panatta, the 1976 champion.

Earlier, Alcaraz led 4-6, 7-6 (3), 6-0, 2-0 against Lorenzo Musetti when the eighth-seeded Italian retired with a leg injury.

Sinner is aiming for his fourth major title, Alcaraz his fifth.

Djokovic fought back in the third set but wilted in the tiebreaker, somehow missing an easy smash at the net to trail 3-0, and then lost on the second match point he faced when his forehand hit the net.

"These are rare and special moments," Sinner said. "I'm very happy."

He extended his winning streak in Grand Slam tournaments to 20 matches, after winning the US Open and the Australian Open.

Djokovic was bidding for a record-extending 38th Grand Slam final and eighth in Paris, where he was won three times. But he spent much of the semifinal camped behind the baseline, sliding at full stretch and grunting loudly while Sinner sent him scurrying left and right like a windscreen wiper.

Sinner praised Djokovic after beating him for a fourth straight time.

"It was such a special occasion playing against Novak in the semifinals of a Grand Slam," Sinner said. "I had to step up. I had to play the best tennis I could."

When they met at the net, Djokovic gave Sinner a warm embrace and bumped his chest several times.

Djokovic seemed unsure how to trouble the Italian.

He tilted his head back in frustration when, in the second game of the second set, his attempted drop shot landed short. Then, his lob was not quite high enough, and Sinner smashed it easily. Finally, when a 26-stroke rally went his way -- featuring sliced drop shots and even improbable retrieves -- Djokovic got a huge ovation from the crowd, who bellowed out, "Novak! Novak!" as he milked the applause. That made it deuce. But Sinner took the game.

Sinner was becoming the Roland Garros showman Djokovic so often was on the main court, where he won three of his major titles.

One improvised flick-of-the-wrist drop shot from the back of the court was majestic, too good even for Djokovic to get back.

Djokovic had a brief massage on his upper right thigh during the changeover at 6-5 down. Serving for the second set for a second time, Sinner clinched it when Djokovic could not return his strong serve.

Djokovic took a medical timeout immediately and received massage treatment on the same leg for a few minutes.

He looked sharper in the third set, but Sinner held his nerve.

Alcaraz opened as a -125 favorite to defeat Sinner (-105) in the final, according to ESPN BET odds.

Information from The Associated Press was used in this report.