Carlos Alcaraz says goodbye in the quarterfinals against a refined Zverev

An extraordinary backhand return down the line by

put an end to

's passage through

.

The stands gave a moving ovation to the Spanish player, who returned the affection with applause.

The number three in the world won 6-4, 6-4, 4-6 and 7-6 (7), in three hours and 18 minutes and will repeat in the semifinals of the tournament, which he lost last year against

.

Alcaraz hinted at a spectacular comeback, finding his best game already two sets down.

He won the third, went to the tiebreaker, had the ball to go to the fifth set, and even saved a

to the rest, but ended up losing the match with his serve.

[Narration and statistics]

Alcaraz had plenty of arguments to feel like a favorite.

Not in vain, he had just won conclusively against the German in the final in Madrid.

Furthermore, he had taken to cruising speed in the tournament after the match point neutralized against

in the second round.

It was a date between two survivors, as Zverev also escaped a

against the Argentine

in the same instance, in addition to lifting two adverse sets.

But the Spaniard had better consolidated his resurrection, with clear wins against

and

.

Such an erratic Alcaraz was not expected in the first two sets.

Not a Zverev so firm, from the excellent numbers of him with the service.

The one from Hamburg, who committed a double fault in the second option to escape two sets to zero, took advantage of the third with a direct serve, after his rival wasted a ball to equalize five.

There was a certain disenchantment in the stands, predisposed in favor of a kid who has taken little time to conquer the heart of the French public.

Alcaraz, diluted in the first two sets

Pushed far from the bottom line by the power of Zverev, with serious difficulties when it came to subtracting his services in conditions, Alcaraz was diluted, also not very accurate in the selection of shots.

There were 14 consecutive victories for him, after arriving in Paris with consecutive titles in Barcelona and Madrid.

In his fourth presence in the quarterfinals of the tournament, Zverev, a double winner of the ATP Finals and with a total of 19 titles behind him, unlike other occasions, this time he was up to the rank of the.

Nothing had worked for Alcaraz, except the left ones.

He came out of a critical moment in the ninth game of the third set, at 4-4, saving a break ball with a forehand dropshot, to the delight of the many fans who chanted his name.

It was the Spaniard who managed to break afterward and take the partial to start the return.

He escaped the guillotine again in the fourth, in an even worse situation, with Zverev serving to earn a place in the semi-finals, after the Murcian served in the ninth game with a double fault.

A forehand to the net, a long backhand and a winning return ended up returning him to a game that he never quite left.

He left in the most unexpected way, when everything seemed to point to at least a fifth set.

Honors to Zverev, brilliant in many moments and then able to resist the onslaught of his combative opponent.

Tribute also for Alcaraz, who continues to challenge his elders.

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