Alcaraz takes fourth set against Zverev to draw level in French Open men’s final

Carlos Alcaraz and Alexander Zverev are both seeking a first French Open championship as they play in the final on Sunday. (AP/Christophe Ena)

PARIS — Carlos Alcaraz has won the fourth set 6-1 against Alexander Zverev to send the French Open final into a decisive fifth set on Sunday.

Alcaraz won the first set 6-3, then Zverev won the second set 6-2 and the third 7-5 to move ahead. 

Both players are looking to win the title for the first time on the red clay at Court Philippe Chatrier. 

No. 3 seed Alcaraz vs. No. 4 seed Zverev marks the first men’s final at Roland Garros since 2004 without at least one of Rafael Nadal, Novak Djokovic or Roger Federer participating.

Zverev leads the head-to-head series against Alcaraz 5-4.

Alcaraz owns two Grand Slam trophies already. He won the U.S. Open on hard courts in 2022 and Wimbledon on grass last year.

The 21-year-old from Spain can become the youngest man to claim a major title on all three surfaces.

Zverev, a 27-year-old from Germany, is trying to win his first Slam title. He was the runner-up at the 2020 U.S. Open and bowed out in the semifinals in Paris each of the past three years.

Hours before Zverev won his semifinal this time, on Friday, word emerged from a Berlin district court that an out-of-court settlement had ended a trial stemming from a former girlfriend’s accusation of assault during a 2020 argument.

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