Carlos Alcaraz into French Open final after classic match with Jannik Sinner

Maybe Carlos Alcaraz just needs to begin playing from a set down to Jannik Sinner. Counting Alcaraz's stirring semifinal victory over Sinner at the French Open on Friday, the Spaniard has come from behind three of the past four times he has defeated the Italian. After a first set when Alcaraz seemed to have a poor game plan, he adjusted and took three of the next four sets.

Tennis fans might have learned a great advantage Alcaraz has over Sinner, or anyone else at this point while watching the match. Sinner appears to enter a match with a great plan while Alcaraz doesn't always do the same, but Alcaraz can adjust during a match in a way Sinner cannot. For instance, Alcaraz was not using his kick-serve at all in the first set, but he went back to it in the second set.

The match was very much one of streaks. Sinner took eight of the first ten games, then Alcaraz took eight of the next ten. Sinner would look like the better player in one set, and Alcaraz clearly better the next. The Spaniard also appeared to have better conditioning as well as Sinner cramped in the third set and Alcaraz was much fresher late in the match.

Carlos Alcaraz defeats Jannik Sinner at the French Open

This helped Alcaraz take what seemed like control of the match late in the fourth set. Each player had held serve during the set - a rarity as each player was broken several times before the set began - but with the Spaniard leading 5-4, he broke the Italian to take the set. He then broke Sinner again during the Italian's first service game of the fifth set.

After that, the end seemed to not be in dispute; Alcaraz was going to win. He stretched his lead to 3-0 and while he fell behind love-30 at 3-1, he was able to come back and take the game. He was in total control, while Sinner was failing to barely hang on. In the end, Alcaraz won the match 2-6 6-3 3-6 6-4 6-3.

Jannik Sinner will take over the No. 1 ATP ranking immediately following the French Open, but there is little doubt that an in-form Carlos Alcaraz is the best player on the tour. He now leads the head-to-head against Sinner 5-4, though tennis fans can expect a lot more matches between the two great young players deep in tournaments for years to come.

Sinner might be slightly more consistent, but few ever have produced the kind of shot-making that Alcaraz is capable of. He likely still doesn't know how great he will be. Sinner will probably be there every step of the way trying to keep Alcaraz from reaching immortal status.

Alcaraz will play either Casper Ruud or Alexander Zverev in the final of the French Open. Ruud nor Zverev have yet to win a major title. Should Alcaraz win, he will have won three Grand Slams and is still only 21 years old.

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