PARIS: World No 3 Carlos Alcaraz edged closer to an Olympic Games showdown against Novak Djokovic on Thursday when he booked his place in the semifinals.
Alcaraz, playing on the same Court Philippe Chatrier at Roland Garros where he captured the French Open in June, saw off 13th-ranked Tommy Paul of the US 6-3, 7-6 (9/7).
The 21-year-old Alcaraz recovered from a break down in the second set to defeat Paul, having also beaten the American in the quarterfinals at Wimbledon on his way to the title at the All England Club last month.
The Spanish star will face either Casper Ruud or Felix Auger-Aliassime for a place in the gold medal match.
Top seed Djokovic, in the other half of the draw, tackles Stefanos Tsitsipas in his quarterfinal later Thursday.