ROME – Carlos Alcaraz continued his impressive clay-court form by booking a spot in the semi-finals of the Italian Open with a commanding 6-4, 6-4 victory over Jack Draper on Wednesday.
The Spaniard described the performance as one of his finest of the season. The third seed will now face either defending champion Alexander Zverev or Italian hopeful Lorenzo Musetti, who were scheduled to square off in the final match of the day on Centre Court at the historic Foro Italico.
Alcaraz’s victory not only keeps him in contention for a maiden Rome title but also propels him to World No. 2 in the ATP rankings, just behind Jannik Sinner. The win secures Alcaraz a top-two seeding at the upcoming French Open, bolstering his chances for a deep run at Roland Garros later this month. “I think I started pretty well and finished strong too,” Alcaraz said after the match. “I lost focus a little bit in the second set, but not for long. Overall, it was probably one of the most complete matches I’ve played this year.”
Draper, the fifth seed, was looking to become the first British man to reach the semi-finals in Rome since Andy Murray in 2016. He made a strong start, breaking Alcaraz early to take a 2-0 lead, but the Spaniard responded swiftly with two breaks of his own to seize control of the opening set.
The second set was tightly contested, highlighted by a marathon eighth game where Alcaraz saved two break points in a 10-minute battle. He then broke Draper to love in the following game and closed out the match on his first opportunity.
Elsewhere, Casper Ruud’s hopes of completing a Madrid-Rome double remain alive after the Norwegian sixth seed defeated Jaume Munar 6-3, 6-4 in a rescheduled match due to Tuesday’s rain delay. Ruud now faces a high-stakes quarter-final against World No. 1 Jannik Sinner.
In the women’s draw, Coco Gauff secured her place in the semi-finals with a hard-fought 6-4, 7-6 (7/5) win over rising star Mirra Andreeva.With the victory, the 21-year-old American guarantees herself the World No. 2 spot in the WTA rankings. Gauff will potentially face tournament favorite Aryna Sabalenka in the last four, provided the top seed overcomes Zheng Qinwen in her quarterfinal.
“Some points weren’t my best, but I still found a way to win,” Gauff said, radiating confidence ahead of the final stretch in Rome. She is seeking her first title of the season after finishing runner-up to Sabalenka in Madrid.
Andreeva, 18, who made history as the youngest woman to reach the quarterfinals in Rome since Gauff herself in 2021, struggled to mount a serious challenge in the opening set. Though she broke Gauff twice in the second, the American responded each time and eventually clinched the match in a tense tiebreaker.Later in the day, Gauff and her doubles partner Alexandra Eala were eliminated in the quarterfinals by defending champions Sara Errani and Jasmine Paolini, who edged the match 7-5, 3-6, 10-7.
