“Be back soon, Denis”: Alcaraz through to the Tokyo semi-finals after Shapovalov retires

The scoreline does not say what this quarter-final was. Six breaks in twelve games in the first set, a set point saved by Carlos Alcaraz at 4-5 on his serve: the ticket to the Tokyo semi-finals was won on the return, and no service game held. The tie-break alone settled it, 7-3, and Alcaraz took the set 7-6 [3].

The second set lasted three games. Denis Shapovalov called the medical timeout, played two more, then stopped the match, 2-1 down. What exactly was wrong has not been specified this Sunday morning; the official score will simply read 7-6 [3], 2-1 retired.

A word for his opponent

Then came the way to leave the court. Alcaraz picked up the pen for the camera on centre court and signed: “Be back soon Denis”. Three words for an opponent gone to be treated, relayed by the account The Tennis Letter. On a tour that hurries past a retirement with a quick handshake, the world number 3 took the time for the message.

Two Tokyo semi-finals in a row

A day after beating Matteo Arnaldi, Alcaraz reaches his second consecutive semi-final at a tournament he won last year. A tight quarter-final costs energy; a retirement after three games saves an hour on court before the weekend. The defending champion now meets Jaume Munar, his compatriot, whom he has beaten three times in four meetings, the last step before a final he would be defending.