Djokovic books French Open final spot

EMMANUEL DUNAND/ AFP

Novak Djokovic made a huge leap towards a record 23rd men's Grand Slam title with a 6-3 5-7 6-1 6-1 victory against an ailing Carlos Alcaraz in the French Open semi-finals on Friday.

World number one Alcaraz had just levelled the contest when disaster struck as he limped to his bench holding his right leg at 1-1 in the third set.

While he continued playing, the US Open champion was clearly hampered but Djokovic was merciless, dropping only one of 12 games to book a spot for Sunday's showdown against either last year's runner-up Casper Ruud or German Alexander Zverev.

It was unclear whether Alcaraz, who skipped this year's Australian Open because of a hamstring injury, was suffering from cramps or injured.

More from Sport

  • Arsenal beaten 3-0 by Brighton to end perfect start

    Brighton and Hove Albion ended Arsenal's perfect start to the season in stunning fashion on Saturday, routing the Premier League champions 3-0 on the south coast.

  • England complete Sri Lanka whitewash to top T20 rankings

    Jos Buttler hit an unbeaten half-century as dominant England beat a sorry Sri Lanka by eight wickets to complete a 3-0 series whitewash and replace India on top of the T20 world rankings after the final match of the series in Manchester on Saturday.

  • UAE begins campaign at Asian Games in Japan

    The UAE has begun its campaign at the 20th Asian Games in Japan, with 165 athletes representing the country across 21 sports.

  • UEFA defends draw policy after Ireland request

    UEFA said on Saturday that decisions on whether national teams should be kept apart in competition draws were made on a case-by-case basis and guided primarily by security considerations, after Ireland's football association said its request to avoid future pairings with Israel had been rejected.

  • Villa chalk up first victory as Spurs misery continues

    Aston Villa finally breathed a sigh of relief as they claimed their first Premier League win of the season with a 3-2 victory at Tottenham Hotspur on Saturday, while Spurs' season lurched deeper into trouble after another demoralising defeat.