Djokovic outlasts No. 1 seed to advance to French final

PARIS — It was Carlos Alcaraz, not Novak Djokovic, who conjured up the “How did he do that?!” shot in the French Open semifinals that went viral in minutes and will be talked about for years.

It was Alcaraz, 20, not Djokovic, 36, who had youth on his side, the widest gap between Grand Slam semifinalists since 1991. It was Alcaraz, not Djokovic, who complained to his coach in the early going on an 85-degree afternoon in Court Philippe Chatrier that the points weren’t long enough to wear down his opponent.

And yet it was Alcaraz, not Djokovic, who succumbed to the heat and the intensity and, by his own admission, the nerves of the occasion. It was Alcaraz, not Djokovic, whose body broke down. And so it is the No. 3 seed Djokovic, not the top-seeded Alcaraz, who will play on in Paris with a chance to add to his trophy collection.

Using every bit of his superiority in experience and fitness, Djokovic beat a cramping Alcaraz 6-3, 5-7, 6-1, 6-1 to reach his 34th major final. That allowed Djokovic to move closer to a 23rd Grand Slam championship, which would break a tie with rival Rafael Nadal for the men’s record.

“I can understand the emotions and circumstances that affect you mentally and emotionally . ... Maybe for the first time in his career, he was expected to win,” Djokovic said. “It’s a part of the learning curve.”

Score one for the old guys. “I’ve never felt the tension that I did in that match,” said Alcaraz, who said the stress he sensed because of the stakes, and the daunting foe across the net, caused cramps in “every part of my body.”

On Sunday, Djokovic will meet No. 4 Casper Ruud, who eliminated No. 22 Alexander Zverev 6-3, 6-4, 6-0.

➤ No. 1 Iga Swiatek will face unseeded Karolina Muchova in the French Open women’s final on Saturday. Swiatek will be seeking a second consecutive title at Roland Garros, her third overall and her fourth Grand Slam title. It will be the 43rd-ranked Muchova’s debut in a major final.