Andy Murray will continue his preparations for Wimbledon by playing at the Rothesay Open Nottingham next week.

The former world number one has taken a wildcard entry for the challenger event after selecting to play there rather than at the Stuttgart Open.

Murray, who has advanced to the semi-finals of the Lexus Surbiton Trophy this weekend, last year chose to play in Stuttgart and beat top seed Stefanos Tsitsipas and Nick Kyrgios on his way to the final before losing to Matteo Berrettini.

He had been weighing up a return to Germany, but had said he was tempted by Nottingham as it would cut down on travel, while the playing surface is more similar to Queen’s and Wimbledon.

British number two Dan Evans, who has won the title in two of the last three editions, had already been confirmed for Nottingham.

Murray reached the last four in Surbiton with a 3-6 6-3 6-4 victory over Australian Jason Kubler on Friday.

Andy Murray has set his eyes on the Lexus Surbiton Trophy final after he beat Australian Jason Kubler to advance into the last four.

Murray fought back from a set down to beat Kubler 3-6 6-3 6-4 and showed signs of his best as the two-time Wimbledon champion progressed into the competition’s penultimate day for the second straight year.

The second seed, who fell at the semi-final stage in 2022, credited his opponent after their two-hour battle which furthered Murray’s hopes of earning a seed for next month’s Wimbledon championships.

The 36-year-old said: “I knew it was going to be hard. He (Kubler) played well and has a lot of variety in his game and was one of the best juniors in the world but has had some problems with injuries.

“He has beaten some good players, he likes to play on this surface so I was not expecting an easy one. Having to come back from a set down against a player as good as him on these sorts of courts is a positive.

“I did fine, it was very windy and gusty a lot so tough to feel great when it is like that, but I did well in the important moments.

“Most of the tournaments you play on tour are in purpose-built facilities whereas coming here, you all love tennis and are probably members, so it’s always nice to play at clubs like this.

“It has been a good run so far and hopefully I can go a bit further than last year.”

Murray will face the defending champion Jordan Thompson in Saturday’s semi-final.

But before then he needs to decide where he will play next week, with his options being the Rothesay Open in Nottingham or the Stuttgart Open.

The Briton enjoyed last year’s event in Germany, where he beat top seed Stefanos Tsitsipas and eventual Wimbledon finalist Nick Kyrgios before losing to Italian Matteo Berrettini in the final.

He added: “I need to make a decision whether I will go to Nottingham or Stuttgart. There’s pros and cons to both, they’re both good decisions.

“There are higher rewards in Stuttgart and Nottingham there’s less travel and the courts are probably a little more similar to Queen’s and Wimbledon.

“I feel like I should be playing at the highest level that I can and competing on the tour is ultimately what I want to do.

“I liked the tournament in Stuttgart last year – I played really well there so I wish I could make a decision after the next couple of days, but it has to be tonight.”

Carlos Alcaraz admitted tension got the better of him after he was hobbled by cramp in his hotly-anticipated French Open semi-final against Novak Djokovic.

The 20-year-old had just won an electrifying second set to level the contest and looked like he might be grabbing the ascendancy when, after hitting a return in the second game of the third, his whole body seized up.

Alcaraz managed to carry on but won only one more game as Djokovic triumphed 6-3 5-7 6-1 6-1 to reach a 34th grand slam final.

The Spaniard did look a lot more anxious than usual at the start of the biggest match in men’s tennis for a year and, asked what had caused the cramp, he said: “The tension of the match.

“I started the match really nervous. The tension of the first set, the second set, it was a really intense two sets, as well. I have never felt something like I did today. I have never felt that tension that I did in that match.

“I disappointed myself, and in a match like this, coming to this match with great feeling, feeling great physically, and cramping at the end of the second set, beginning of the third set. It was really disappointing.”

This was only the second time Djokovic and Alcaraz had played each other and the first at a slam, with the young Spaniard having prevailed in Madrid last year.

The 16-year age gap was the biggest in any Roland Garros semi-final in the open era and it seemed a pivotal match in the generational battle going on in men’s tennis as well as for Djokovic’s hopes of pulling away from his rivals at the top of the all-time lists.

“It’s not easy to play against Novak,” said Alcaraz, who won a series of long matches to claim his first grand slam title at the US Open last year, where Djokovic was absent because of his vaccination status.

“If someone says that he gets into the court with no nerves playing against Novak, he lies.

“Of course, playing a semi-final of a grand slam, you have a lot of nerves, but even more with facing Novak. Next time that I’m going to face Novak, I hope to be different, but the nerves will be there.”

Djokovic was the better player in the first set but the second was a tremendous contest, with Alcaraz showcasing his spectacular brand of tennis, not least a stunning winner in the third game when he chased back towards his own baseline and somehow flicked the ball inside the sideline on the turn.

Djokovic was the first to call the trainer for treatment to his right forearm and Alcaraz broke for 5-3 before holding three set points two games later, but each time his opponent fought back.

Alcaraz did finally take his fourth set point on Djokovic’s serve at 5-6 but several minutes later the match was effectively over.

The Spaniard had to forfeit a game to have treatment, drawing loud and prolonged boos from the crowd when they realised what had happened, but that was the least of his worries.

He could barely move during the rest of the third set and, although he rallied at the beginning of the fourth, it was nowhere near enough to turn it back into a contest.

“I started to cramp in my arm,” explained Alcaraz. “At the beginning of the third set I started to cramp in every part of my body, not only the legs.”

Asked if he considered not finishing the match, the 20-year-old said: “I would have felt sorry about myself if I would retire. I’m in a semi-final of a grand slam. I thought that probably I have one per cent chance to come back.”

Djokovic, who has not lost a slam match for more than a year, will now be an overwhelming favourite to become the first man to win 23 grand slam singles titles in the final on Sunday.

He had sympathy for his opponent, saying: “First and foremost I have to say tough luck for Carlos. At this level, the last thing you want is cramps. I feel for him, I feel sorry and hope he can recover and come back very soon.

“I told him at the net, he knows how young he is. He’s going to win this tournament I’m sure many, many times. He’s an unbelievable player.

“It’s tough obviously for him to not know whether he should finish the match but congratulations to him for the fighting spirit.

“Towards the end of the second set I wasn’t feeling fresh at all. We went toe to toe and then this thing happened. I just tried to stay focused. I saw that he’s struggling but I didn’t want to think too much what’s going on on the other side of the net.

“I’m incredibly proud to reach another final.”

Not for the first time this fortnight, Djokovic was booed on several occasions throughout the match, including when he celebrated winning points in the fourth set.

“I don’t mind,” he said with a wry smile. “It’s not the first (time), probably not the last. I’ll just keep winning.”

Andy Murray fought back from a set down to beat Jason Kubler and reach the semi-finals of the Lexus Surbiton Trophy.

The 36-year-old, the last remaining British man in the singles, scraped past the Australian 3-6 6-3 6-4 as he continued his preparations for Wimbledon next month .

Murray, who is ranked 43 in the world and needs to climb 11 spots in order to be seeded at his home grand slam, will now face another Australian, Jordan Thompson, for a place in Sunday’s final.

Both Murray and Kubler battled at a high intensity despite the heat and the 30-year-old’s fast serve paid dividends as he took an early 3-2 lead which left the three-time slam winner frustrated as he failed to find any rhythm.

Kubler replicated Wednesday’s first set dominance over Britain’s Ryan Peniston as Murray struggled to deal with his opponent’s shot selection and the Scot was made to scramble across the turf before losing the opening set 6-3.

The former world number one appeared rejuvenated by the home support, though, and it finally felt like he was beginning to find his feet after taking a 2-1 lead in the second set, only to be pegged back to 2-2.

Kubler voiced his satisfaction through a loud “come on” as the game approached the hour mark with the second set now locked at 3-3.

Murray responded with a frustrated groan as the world number 69 began to ramp up the pressure with powerful serves and verbal celebrations.

However, Kubler’s shouts ebbed away as second seed Murray’s precision started to force errors and the home favourite eased into a 5-3 lead before an ace saw him claim the last game to bring the tie level.

Murray started the third set where he left off and cruised into a two-game lead despite his remonstrations with the umpire over a Kubler shot which was called in.

Kubler was one point from pulling a game back but the experienced Murray came out on top after a series of exciting rallies as he stormed into a 3-0 lead and seemingly on course for victory.

But, fresh from a medical break, Kubler’s forehand shots began to fizz past a helpless Murray as the Australian’s never-say-die attitude began to shine through and he clawed the score back to 3-2.

Both players’ serves were important weapons on the day and it was further demonstrated when Murray found himself serving for the match at 5-4.

Murray’s power mixed with his deft slice left Kubler with no answers as he succumbed to the quality of his opponent as the two-time Wimbledon champion claimed victory.

Earlier, Katie Boulter fought off Swiss opponent Viktorija Golubic to win in straight sets 7-5 6-2 to progress to a last-four showdown with Belgium’s Yanina Wickmayer .

Victory for Boulter confirmed her place as British number one for the first time at the expense of the injured Emma Raducanu.

Isabelle Lacy’s campaign came to an end when the 16-year-old fell to fellow Briton Yuriko Miyazaki 6-3 6-0.

Miyazaki advanced to the semi-finals where she will face compatriot Katie Swan, who batted back to beat Germany’s Tatjana Maria 3-6 6-3 6-4.

It is the first time that three British women have reached the last four in the tournament’s history.

Andy Murray fought back from a set down to beat Jason Kubler and reach the semi-finals of the Lexus Surbiton Trophy.

The 36-year-old, the last remaining British man in the singles, scraped past the Australian 3-6 6-3 6-4 as he continued his preparations for Wimbledon next month .

Murray, who is ranked 43 in the world and needs to climb 11 spots in order to be seeded at his home tournament, will now face another Australian, Jordan Thompson, for a place in Sunday’s final.

Both Murray and Kubler battled at a high intensity despite the heat and the 30-year-old’s fast serve paid dividends as he took an early 3-2 lead which left the three-time grand slam winner frustrated as he failed to find any rhythm.

Kubler replicated Wednesday’s first set dominance over Britain’s Ryan Peniston as Murray struggled to deal with his opponent’s shot selection and the Scot was made to scramble across the turf before losing the opening set 6-3.

The former world number one appeared rejuvenated by the home support, though, and it finally felt like he was beginning to find his feet after taking a 2-1 lead in the second set, only to be pegged back to 2-2.

Kubler voiced his satisfaction through a loud “come on” as the game approached the hour mark with the second set now locked at 3-3.

Murray responded with a frustrated groan as the world number 69 began to ramp up the pressure with powerful serves and verbal celebrations.

However, Kubler’s shouts ebbed away as second seed Murray’s precision started to force errors and the home favourite eased into a 5-3 lead before an ace saw him claim the last game to bring the tie level.

Murray started the third set where he left off and cruised into a two-game lead despite his remonstrations with the umpire over a Kubler shot which was called in.

Kubler was one point from pulling a game back but the experienced Murray came out on top after a series of exciting rallies as he stormed into a 3-0 lead and seemingly on course for victory.

But, fresh from a medical break, Kubler’s forehand shots began to fizz past a helpless Murray as the Australian’s never-say-die attitude began to shine through and he clawed the score back to 3-2.

Both players’ serves were important weapons on the day and it was further demonstrated when Murray found himself serving for the match at 5-4.

Murray’s power mixed with his deft slice left Kubler with no answers as he succumbed to the quality of his opponent as the two-time Wimbledon champion claimed victory.

Earlier, Katie Boulter fought off Swiss opponent Viktorija Golubic to win in straight sets 7-5 6-2 to progress to a last-four showdown with Belgium’s Yanina Wickmayer .

Victory for Boulter confirmed her place as British number one for the first time at the expense of the injured Emma Raducanu.

Isabelle Lacy’s campaign came to an end when the 16-year-old fell to fellow Briton Yuriko Miyazaki 6-3 6-0.

Miyazaki advanced to the semi-finals where she will face compatriot Katie Swan, who batted back to beat Germany’s Tatjana Maria 3-6 6-3 6-4.

Carlos Alcaraz’s French Open hopes were hobbled by cramp as Novak Djokovic moved through to a 34th grand slam final in anti-climactic fashion.

Alcaraz had just won an electrifying second set to level the hugely anticipated match and looked like he might be grabbing the ascendancy when, after hitting a forehand, his right leg seized up.

The 20-year-old initially appeared unable to move but eventually limped back to his seat and was forced to forfeit a service game in order to have treatment.

The crowd loudly jeered when they realised the game had been awarded to Djokovic but that was the least of Alcaraz’s troubles, with the Spaniard, who had been wowing Philippe Chatrier with his incredible movement and dynamism, reduced to little more than walking.

He opted not to retire but could offer little challenge to Djokovic thereafter and won only one more game, with the Serbian completing a 6-3 5-7 6-1 6-1 victory to move through to his seventh final on the Parisian clay.

Djokovic, who has not lost a grand slam match since the quarter-finals here last year, said: “First and foremost I have to say tough luck for Carlos. At this level, the last thing you want is cramps. I feel for him, I feel sorry and hope he can recover and come back very soon.

“I told him at the net, he knows how young he is. He’s going to win this tournament I’m sure many, many times. He’s an incredible player. It’s tough obviously for him to not know whether he should finish the match but congratulations to him for the fighting spirit.

“Towards the end of the second set I wasn’t feeling fresh at all. We went toe to toe and then this thing happened. I just tried to stay focused. I saw that he’s struggling but I didn’t want to think too much what’s going on on the other side of the net.

“I’m incredibly proud to reach another final.”

It was a huge disappointment because the contest had been living up to the massive hype, with the pair meeting for the first time in a grand slam and only the second occasion.

The 16-year age gap was the biggest in any Roland Garros semi-final in the open era and it seemed a pivotal match in the generational battle going on in men’s tennis as well as for Djokovic’s hopes of pulling away from his rivals at the top of the all-time lists.

Now he will be an overwhelming favourite to become the first man to win 23 grand slam singles titles in the final on Sunday, when he can also reclaim the number one ranking.

The 36-year-old had been tested on his way to the last four but he stepped up his level significantly in the first set, breaking Alcaraz in the fourth game and proving the steadier in tricky, breezy conditions.

The match really came alive in the third game of the second set when Alcaraz, whose ability to have fun at what should be stressful moments is a key part of his appeal, hit one of the most outrageous shots seen at a grand slam.

Having been dragged short and wide by a Djokovic drop shot, the Serbian appeared to have dinked a winner into the open court but Alcaraz had other ideas, not just getting to the ball on the slide but, while still travelling in the wrong direction, twisting and flicking a forehand inside the sideline.

Djokovic could do nothing but laugh and applaud while Alcaraz soaked up the adulation.

It was Djokovic who called the trainer after the seventh game for treatment to his right forearm and Alcaraz finally clinched his sixth break point to move 5-3 ahead.

The young Spaniard was forcing the pace and beginning to have significant success with his signature drop shot, but Djokovic is the toughest of grand slam beasts and back he came with a backhand winner drilled down the line.

Alcaraz forced three set points in the next game but Djokovic saved all of them, and he might have claimed the set had he taken a break point in the next game but uncharacteristically dumped a routine backhand wide.

Alcaraz held and then went up 0-40 again, this time drawing the error from Djokovic as he levelled the match.

At that stage it appeared the contest had a long distance still to run but a few minutes later it was effectively over.

Alcaraz hobbled his way through the remainder of the third set in what seemed like a futile bid to keep going and then took a long bathroom break, giving himself all the time he could to somehow recover.

He certainly moved better at the start of the fourth set but not nearly well enough and Djokovic ensured he did not find a way back into the match, not losing another game until he was 5-0 up.

Karolina Muchova produced one of the shocks of the French Open by upsetting Aryna Sabalenka to reach her first grand slam final.

Muchova came from 5-2 down in the final set, saving a match point, to win 7-6 (5) 6-7 (5) 7-5 and will take on defending champion Iga Swiatek, who survived her first test, beating Beatriz Haddad Maia 6-2 7-6 (7).

Miyu Kato found Paris redemption in the mixed doubles, winning the title with German Tim Puetz after her disqualification from the women’s doubles.

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The men’s finalists will be decided at Roland Garros on Friday.

The blockbuster match comes first up when world number one Carlos Alcaraz meets Novak Djokovic for only the second time in a generational clash for supremacy in the men’s game.

The second encounter, meanwhile, sees Casper Ruud trying to make a second final in two years against Alexander Zverev, whose semi-final here last year against Rafael Nadal ended with him leaving the court in a wheelchair.

Andy Murray is the only British man left in singles at the Lexus Surbiton Trophy after Dan Evans suffered a shock second-round loss.

Evans was the top seed after taking a late wild card following his early French Open defeat but was toppled 7-5 6-2 by 21-year-old Canadian Gabriel Diallo, ranked more than 100 places below him.

It has been a difficult season so far for 33-year-old Evans, who will hope to fare better in Nottingham next week, where he is the defending champion.

There is a lot more home representation in the women’s draw, where Katie Boulter needs one more victory to overtake Emma Raducanu as British number one.

The eighth seed battled to a 3-6 6-3 6-4 victory over countrywoman Sonay Kartal to reach the quarter-finals, where she will face Swiss Viktorija Golubic.

Boulter was joined in the last eight by Isabelle Lacy, Katie Swan and Yuriko Miyazaki.

Sixteen-year-old Lacy was given a walkover by American Sachia Vickery and will play Miyazaki, who defeated compatriot Eden Silva, while Swan was 5-3 up on Oceane Dodin when the Frenchwoman retired.

Harriet Dart was close to joining them but lost a tight tussle 6-4 6-7 (5) 6-4 to top seed and last year’s Wimbledon semi-finalist Tatjana Maria, who next plays Swan.

Jack Draper will miss Wimbledon with the shoulder injury he suffered at the French Open last week.

It is a huge blow to the 21-year-old, whose progress has been disrupted by a series of injuries.

The latest came in practice ahead of his first-round clash at Roland Garros last Monday against Tomas Etcheverry, with Draper forced to serve underarm before calling it a day after only one game of the second set.

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While hugely disappointed that his body had again let him down, Draper was optimistic the problem with his left shoulder would not disrupt his grass-court campaign too much.

However, having had a scan and seen a specialist, Draper has decided to miss the whole of the British summer season.

Draper wrote on Instagram: “It’s clear my shoulder is going to need time and rehab to get back to where it needs to be. My team and I have made the difficult decision to miss the grass court season this year.

“I guess in this sport there are so many ups and downs but this one is tough to take. The only thing for sure is that I will keep persevering.”

He is optimistic he will not need surgery and is hoping to return to the match court in mid to late July.

When he has been fit, Draper has shown he has the potential to be among the best in the world but that has not been nearly as often as he would have liked.

Last season a promising run to the third round of the US Open was ended by a leg injury and, after illness disrupted his pre-season, Draper has already missed large chunks of this year with hip and abdominal problems.

In Paris last week the Londoner said he felt “mentally destroyed”, adding: “I hate being the guy who is injured a lot.”

Draper made his Wimbledon debut in 2021, losing to Novak Djokovic, while last year he pushed Alex De Minaur to four sets in the second round.

Novak Djokovic and Carlos Alcaraz will meet for the first time at a grand slam in Paris on Friday but the Serbian expects a familiar feeling.

Alcaraz was still a baby the last time the French Open was played without his compatriot Rafael Nadal in the draw.

Now Spain has a new hero to cheer and Djokovic a new rival to spar with at the top of the game.

“He carries himself very well,” said the 36-year-old. “No doubt very nice guy on and off the court. Brings a lot of intensity on the court. Reminds me of someone from his country that plays with a left hand.”

Djokovic and Alcaraz met for the first – and only – time in Madrid last year, when the young Spaniard served notice that he was the present as well as the future of tennis by beating Nadal and Djokovic back to back.

Since then they have frustratingly missed each other, with Djokovic unable to play in the US Open, where Alcaraz won his first grand slam title, because of his vaccination status, while the 20-year-old was kept out of the Australian Open by injury.

Djokovic claimed his 22nd slam title in Melbourne and can set a new all-time men’s record by lifting the Coupe des Mousquetaires for a third time.

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“He deserves his success, no doubt,” said Djokovic of Alcaraz. “He’s working hard and he’s a very complete player already and only 20.

“So we played only once in Madrid last year, 7-6 in the third for him. Most of the tournaments this year we were not in the same draw but here we are.

“That’s the match that a lot of people want to see. It’s definitely the biggest challenge for me so far in the tournament. If you want to be the best, you have to beat the best. He’s definitely a guy to beat here. I’m looking forward to that.”

They both reached the semi-finals dropping only one set but, Alcaraz has been the more impressive, spending three-and-a-half hours less on court than Djokovic in his five matches so far.

The Serbian, who can reclaim the world number one ranking by winning the title, looked in trouble for a while against Karen Khachanov before playing a flawless second-set tie-break.

Djokovic’s ability to lock in at the most important moments is one of his greatest strengths and the Serbian’s extraordinary precision in the placement of his shots is unmatched.

If Djokovic is the old master, Alcaraz is the young impressionist, using the clay canvas to show off his talent and exuberance.

John McEnroe declared Alcaraz the most complete 20-year-old he has ever seen earlier in the tournament, and the audacity of his shots demonstrates the supreme confidence he has in his game.

He spoke of his excitement at playing Djokovic, saying: “Since the draw came out, everyone was expecting that match, the semi-final against Novak. Myself as well. I really want to play that match.

“Since last year I really wanted to play again against Novak. We both are playing a great level. I’m going to enjoy it.

“Of course, for me, it’s amazing to make history, playing a semi-final with such a legend like Novak. So it’s going to be a great match for me.

“I would say the match we played last year doesn’t affect too much this one. We both learned a lot from that match, so it’s going to be totally different, and let’s see what happens on Friday.”

The other semi-final pits fourth seed Casper Ruud against Alexander Zverev, who has found form again on the Paris clay 12 months after seriously injuring his ankle in a last-four clash with Nadal.

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The German did not play another match until the beginning of this season but insisted there is no mental scar tissue as he looks to reach a second grand slam final.

“I think I’m at a stage now where I’m not thinking about the injury so much anymore,” he said. “I’m not thinking about what happened. I’m just happy to be back where I was last year, and I have another chance. Hopefully I can take it.”

Ruud made his first slam final here last year before losing heavily to Nadal and has shrugged off his own difficult start to the season.

Alexander Zverev battled his way back into the French Open semi-finals a year after suffering a season-ending ankle injury.

The German left Philippe Chatrier in a wheelchair 12 months ago after being forced to retire during a compelling last-four clash with Rafael Nadal.

Zverev had struggled since returning to the tour in January but has buried his demons on the Parisian clay and fought for three hours and 22 minutes to make it past surprise package Tomas Etcheverry 6-4 3-6 6-3 6-4.

“That was the most difficult year of my life,” he said.

“I love tennis with all my heart. I’m so happy to be back at this stage, I’m so happy to be able to play for a Roland Garros final again. I can’t be happier.”

Argentinian Etcheverry, 23, did himself huge credit in the biggest match of his career, wowing the Philippe Chatrier crowd with thumping winners and fighting to the end.

But it was Zverev who was just the stronger in the big moments, saving six of the nine break points he faced to make it to the last four here for the third year in a row.

Zverev said of his opponent: “He’s playing incredible tennis, he reminds me a lot of (Juan Martin) Del Potro, the way he hits his forehand especially. If he continues playing like this he’s going in the quarter-finals here a lot more often for sure and I think he can be top 10.

“I just had to remember that I have a pair of balls that I can use. I hope, I think I deserved to win. I’m just happy to be through.”

A visibly frustrated Andy Murray eventually saw off qualifier Bu Yunchaokete to reach the third round of the Surbiton Trophy as he continues his preparations ahead of Wimbledon.

The 36-year old skipped the French Open to focus on his grass-court season and give himself the best preparation for Wimbledon next month.

Murray, a two-time Wimbledon champion, is ranked 43rd and needs to climb around 10 positions to be seeded in SW19.

He increased those chances with a hard-fought 7-6 (1) 6-4 win over Yunchaokete, who is 130 places below Murray in the rankings.

Internet issues on the umpire’s scoring system led to a slight delay in starting the match and it took Murray a while to get going once things got under way.

As with his first round win over Chung Hyeon on Monday, Murray needed little time to hit his stride as he looked to back up his claims that he remains among the top 10 players on his favourite surface.

Chinese qualifier Yunchaokete had beaten Briton Harry Wendelken in the opening round but the step up in class left him at the mercy of Murray.

Two aces saw Murray take the third game and he broke serve in the sixth only to have Yunchaokete break back immediately, with the Briton throwing his racket to the ground in frustration.

Yunchaokete was starting to grow in confidence as he held to love to leave Murray grumbling away at the other end.

Two set points for Murray were not taken and he greeted another error with a cry of “I don’t know what is going on with my game” as the first set headed into a tie-break.

The self-administered pep-talk seemed to work as Murray dominated, this time letting out a roar of joy as he took the first set.

The outbursts of anger continued in the second set with both players still unable to put clear distance between the scores.

Murray would eventually maintain a high enough level to see off the spirited Yuchanokete and advance into the next stage as he aims to go one better than his semi-final place at Surbiton 12 months ago.

A dispirited Coco Gauff was forced to digest a seventh straight loss to Iga Swiatek as the defending champion progressed to another French Open semi-final.

The pair had met in the final 12 months ago, with Gauff winning just four games, and the American had not won a set in their six previous clashes.

The statistic remains and, although Gauff had some success with a new game plan and pushed the world number one in a 6-4 6-2 defeat, that was of little consolation.

“Obviously you lose to someone seven times, you feel crappy,” said Gauff, who struggled to hold back tears.

“It’s not fun at all but also, every time I play her, I’m not thinking about the previous record. If I go in believing that I lost the match before it already happens then I’m never going to win.

“But obviously when it’s over, yeah, it does suck.”

Gauff came out with different tactics to last year’s final, testing Swiatek with high, slower balls to her backhand and trying not to allow the top seed to get into a rhythm.

Gauff’s big opportunity came in the third game of the second set when she created three break points – the third after drilling a point-blank backhand at Swiatek at the net, sending the Pole tumbling to the clay as she tried to avoid it.

Gauff swiftly apologised, but it was Swiatek who had the last laugh as the American fired shots long on each of her opportunities.

“I think a lot of the points I lost were off really small details,” said the teenager. “The game in the third set I had an opportunity to go up 40-0 and then also I was up 40-15 on her serve and missed two returns. That’s on my end.”

Gauff was unrepentant about hitting Swiatek, saying: “I didn’t try to hit her. I was just trying to hit the ball hard in the middle of the court, and it happened to hit her.

“I apologised after but I think she knows that’s part of the game. If you hit a bad ball and you decide to run to the net, there’s always a risk that you get hit.”

The Pole did not react at the time, and said later: “I don’t really know if that was her only option or not but I know Coco is a nice person and she wouldn’t mean it. Nothing personal. It happens.”

Swiatek extended her record at Roland Garros to 26-2 as she chases a third title in four years and she has only lost 15 games in five matches so far.

While she is a clear favourite to lift the Coupe Suzanne Lenglen again, Swiatek does not want to take an all-or-nothing approach.

“It’s never like that, honestly, especially at a grand slam,” she said. “I’m pretty happy to be in the semi-final again at Roland Garros. It’s a great achievement no matter how the tournament is going to finish.

“Especially coming into the tournament as a defending champion, it puts a lot of pressure on you. I’m really happy I can show consistency and just play good here every year.”

In the last four, Swiatek will face a player who has taken a much more scenic route in 14th seed Beatriz Haddad Maia, who defeated Ons Jabeur to become the first Brazilian woman to reach the French Open semi-finals in the open era.

After battling for nearly four hours to beat Sara Sorribes Tormo in the fourth round, she found herself with work to do after losing the opening set to seventh seed Jabeur but fought back impressively to win 3-6 7-6 (5) 6-1.

Haddad Maia has spent nearly 13 hours on court in reaching the last four, more than twice as long as Swiatek, who she beat in their only previous meeting in Toronto last summer.

The 27-year-old is a late bloomer having struggled with injuries and then served a 10-month doping ban – she successfully argued she had inadvertently taken a banned substance in a contaminated supplement – and this is her first time beyond the second round of a slam.

Haddad Maia said: “I think a tennis match is like a marathon. It’s not a 100 metres race. I think one of my qualities is that I wait and I’m very patient and I never give up.”

It was a disappointing loss for seventh seed Jabeur, who seemed in control of the match until the second-set tie-break.

The Tunisian managed to be happy for her opponent, though, saying: “She’s a beast and I wish her all the best. I feel like my story and her story are a little bit similar. I’m very happy for her and for Brazil, and hopefully she can do much more for her country.”

Jabeur is now targeting a first slam title at Wimbledon having lost in the final last summer.

“I’m hoping to go and get the title really in Wimbledon,” she said. “I’m dreaming about it. It’s something that I always wanted.”

Carlos Alcaraz is relishing the chance to take on Novak Djokovic for a place in the French Open final, according to his coach Juan Carlos Ferrero.

The hotly-anticipated clash will take place at Roland Garros on Friday after both moved through to the last four without dropping a set.

It is a fascinating battle of the generations, with 36-year-old Djokovic chasing a record-breaking 23rd grand slam title and Alcaraz, 16 years his junior, a second.

Ferrero knows what it takes to win on the Parisian clay having lifted the title in 2003 and he feels his man is ready to topple Djokovic.

“I think both players are maybe the best in the world right now,” said the Spaniard.

“Novak has the experience to play these kind of matches more than Carlos, of course, but, at the same time, Carlos really wants to play that match. He was really looking forward to that match since the beginning.

“Of course, he had to play match by match and we were very patient about it. But I think he is ready.

“He practised for these kind of matches. He practises for these kind of moments to be there and try to make history step by step.

“He wants to do it but of course we really know that Novak is going to give absolutely his best. I think he is going to fight until the last ball and he is going to prepare for the match as well as we can do.

“So we expect a really tough and close match. Carlos believes a lot in himself and he believes that he can beat Novak.”

That belief has been evident since the moment Alcaraz burst onto the global stage.

He swatted aside Stefanos Tsitsipas in the quarter-finals on Tuesday evening with a display of all-court brilliance.

He can take confidence, meanwhile, from having beaten Djokovic in their only previous match, on clay in Madrid last spring, when he also defeated Rafael Nadal.

“He dreams very big about what he can do, so I think it’s one of the most important things that he believes in himself and that he believes that he can go to the court and win against everybody,” said Ferrero.

The pair have worked together since September 2018 and it has proved the dream partnership so far, with Ferrero helping the 20-year-old to hone his incredible natural talents.

“I’m impressed obviously about his level, but I’m with him now almost five years, so I know the level he’s able to play,” said the former world number one.

“So in that way, I’m not impressed at all because I know that he can play like this. The most impressive thing for me is that he is showing his best level against the best. That’s the most important thing.”

Iga Swiatek maintained her unbeaten record against Coco Gauff in their French Open rematch to move through to the semi-finals.

The pair had met in the final 12 months ago, with Gauff winning just four games, and the American had not won a set in their six previous clashes.

The statistic remains, although Gauff at least pushed the world number one in a 6-4 6-2 defeat, and will feel she might have done better.

The 19-year-old was unable to take the few chances she had to gain the ascendancy, particularly in the second set, and Swiatek made her pay.

The top seed has lost only 15 games in five matches, and she said: “I haven’t spent much time on court so I’m happy that today was a tighter match.”

Gauff came out with different tactics to last year’s final, testing Swiatek with high, slower balls to her backhand and trying not to allow the top seed to get into a rhythm.

It worked well to a point, with Gauff quickly retrieving an early break, but Swiatek stepped up her level to clinch the set with a brilliant returning game.

Gauff’s big opportunity came in the third game of the second set when she created three break points – the third after drilling a point-blank backhand at Swiatek at the net, sending the Pole tumbling to the clay as she tried to avoid it.

Gauff swiftly apologised, but it was Swiatek who had the last laugh as the American fired shots long on each of her opportunities.

And that would prove to be the last opening, with the two-time champion winning four games in a row to book her spot in the last four once again.

There Swiatek will face Beatriz Haddad Maia, who came from a set down to defeat Ons Jabeur and become the first Brazilian woman to reach the French Open semi-finals in the open era.

After battling for nearly four hours to beat Sara Sorribes Tormo in the fourth round, the 14th seed again found herself with work to do after losing the opening set to seventh seed Jabeur.

A very tight second went to a tie-break, which Haddad Maia took, and the Brazilian ran away with the decider to win 3-6 7-6 (5) 6-1.

Haddad Maia, 27, looked utterly stunned at the moment of victory, having never previously gone beyond the fourth round at a slam.

Her results away from the majors have been very impressive, though, and she will hope to follow in the footsteps of Brazilian grand slam champions Gustavo Kuerten and Maria Bueno.