Paris Olympics 2024: Alcaraz closes in on Olympics showdown as Zheng ends Kerber career

Carlos Alcaraz shrugged off crushing humidity on Wednesday to stay on course for an Olympic gold medal showdown as Zheng Qinwen ended the career of former world number one Angelique Kerber.

Alcaraz brushed aside Roman Safiullin, the Russian playing in Paris as a neutral, 6-4, 6-2.

In the women’s singles, Zheng defeated Kerber 6-7 (4/7), 6-4, 7-6 (8/6) to become only the second Chinese player to reach an Olympic singles semifinal.

French Open and Wimbledon champion Alcaraz is yet to drop a set in Paris and breezed past 66th-ranked Safiullin in 90 minutes.

Alcaraz broke serve four times and wrapped up victory with his fifth ace of the contest.

“I am really happy with the way I managed everything during the match. The conditions were really tough with the heat and it was really humid,” said Alcaraz.

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Up next for Alcaraz is Tommy Paul, the American he defeated in the Wimbledon quarterfinals.

Paul made the last eight by seeing off Corentin Moutet, whose defeat ended all French interest in the five Olympic tennis events.

Australian Open runner-up Zheng became the first Chinese woman since Li Na in 2008 to reach the singles semifinals.

Her three-hour victory, in which she unleashed 64 winners, sent 36-year-old former world number one Kerber, a silver medallist at the 2016 Rio Games, into retirement.

‘Leave in peace’

“What can I say? I gave everything,” said Kerber, who has slumped to 212 in the world rankings. “I have loved playing tennis. Now I can leave in peace.”

Anna Karolina Schmiedlova is the first Slovakian player to make the Olympics semifinals since Miloslav Mecir won the men’s singles title at Seoul in 1988.

The 67th-ranked Schmiedlova stunned Wimbledon champion Barbora Krejcikova in straight sets.

Later Wednesday, Iga Swiatek, the four-time French Open champion, can claim a 25th successive win at Roland Garros by making the semi-finals of the Olympics for the first time when she takes on Danielle Collins of the United States.

In the remaining women’s quarterfinal, Ukraine’s Marta Kostyuk faces Wimbledon semi-finalist Donna Vekic of Croatia.

Nadal, chasing a third Olympic gold medal, plays for the fifth successive day as he and Alcaraz eye a place in the men’s doubles semifinals.

The Spaniards face a tricky last-eight tie against fourth seeds Austin Krajicek and Rajeev Ram of the United States.