(Paris) Novak Djokovic bounced back after conceding a first set at the French Open on Tuesday en route to a 4-6, 7-6 (0), 6-2, 6-4 victory over Karen Khachanov who took him allowed access to the semi-finals of a Grand Slam tournament for the 45^e times of his career.

Roger Federer is the record holder on the men’s side with 46 semi-final appearances in major tournaments.

The anticipated shock will take place: the world No.1 Carlos Alcaraz joined Djokovic in the semi-finals by outclassing the world No.5 Stefanos Tsitsipas 6-2, 6-1, 7-6 (7/5) in a little more two hours. The Spaniard defeated Djokovic on clay at the Madrid Masters last year — it was their only career duel so far.

In the absence of Rafael Nadal, victim of a stubborn left hip injury, the 20-year-old Spaniard, qualified for his first semi-final on clay in Paris, and Djokovic are the main favorites for Roland-Garros. .

The victory of the “Djoker” against Khachanov, who had reached the semi-finals at the United States Open last September and at the Australian Open in January, allowed the Serb to find himself in the semi-finals at Roland- Garros for the 12^e times of his career. Only Rafael Nadal has taken part more often; 15 times, precisely. The Spaniard had hip surgery last week and was absent from the Paris tournament.

Djokovic has triumphed twice in his career at the French Open (2016, 2021), and he covets a 23^e career Grand Slam title, which would allow him to surpass Nadal for most among tennis players.

Prior to facing Khachanov, Djokovic had won each of his 12 rounds so far in the tournament. But he admitted to having had a “quite difficult, slow start to the game” on Tuesday.

The second round was hardly easier. At least, until the tiebreaker. It was then that the Serb “raised his level of play a few notches”, in his own words.

It’s the least we can say.

Muchova in the four aces

Earlier on Tuesday, Karolina Muchova reached the semifinals of the women’s draw for the first time in her career.

The unseeded Czech got the better of 2021 tournament runner-up Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova 7-5, 6-2 in the quarterfinals on Tuesday.

She had never passed the third round at Roland-Garros.

Pavlyuchenkova took more than three hours to win her previous match, and the Russian looked tired early in the match, as she struggled to find her bearings and conceded plenty of points without a real fight.

She tried to pull herself together by exploiting her powerful forehand, but her hopes of orchestrating a comeback were dashed when she found herself down 1-4 in the second set following another messy forehand. .

Pavlyuchenkova has missed most of the 2022 season due to a knee injury. Under its 333^e place in the world, she nevertheless became the lowest-ranked player in the modern era to reach the quarter-finals at Roland-Garros — and she became the lowest-ranked player to reach this stage of the competition in a Grand Slam tournament since 2017.

Muchova has also been plagued by injuries and abdominal discomfort that forced her to rest for six months after the 2021 U.S. Open. She also injured her ankle during her third-round match at the Open. from France last year.

Muchova will make the semi-finals of a major tournament for the second time in her career, having found herself in the semi-finals at the Australian Open in 2021. There she will face Australian Open champion Aryna Sabalenka, who beat Elina Svitolina 6-4, 6-4 in Tuesday’s other quarter-final match.

Sabalenka is from Belarus, and Svitolina — playing her first Grand Slam tournament since becoming a mother — is Ukrainian. Belarus helped invade Ukraine in February 2022, and the war is still ongoing. As is the case with all players from Ukraine, including Sabalenka’s first-round opponent in Paris last week, Svitolina does not shake hands with players from Belarus or Russia after games. It happened again on Tuesday.

Separately, Japan’s Miyu Kato was relieved of US$23,000 in prize money and her women’s doubles ranking points after accidentally hitting a ball attendant in the neck with a ball after a point during a match. However, she was granted permission to continue her activities in mixed doubles.

Kato’s women’s doubles partner, Indonesian Aldila Sutjiadi, was not punished.