Photo credit: Jed Jacobsohn/ROLEX
Dirty work doesn’t deter Carlos Alcaraz.
Alcaraz fought off championship points out-dueling Jannik Sinner on Paris’ red clay in the longest Roland Garros final in history last month.
Racing around London’s lawn today, Alcaraz was as immaculate as his ivory Nike apparel.
A sharp Alcaraz delivered a clean crushing of Cameron Norrie 6-2, 6-3, 6-3 to cruise into his third straight semifinal at Wimbledon.
“I’m just really, really happy,” Alcaraz said. “I mean to be able to play another semifinal at Wimbledon is pretty special. It’s something I wanted to do: go as far as I can and give myself a chance to play a semifinal is gonna be great.
“I’m happy with the way I played against an amazing player like Cam—he’s an amazing guy as well…Happy to be here playing this kind of match. Happy to qualify for another semifinal.”
It is Alcaraz’s career-best 23rd consecutive victory—he hasn’t lost a match since bowing to Holger Rune in the Barcelona final in April—and he’s now won 34 of the 37 grass-court matches he’s played.
Two-time champion Alcaraz rides an 18-match Wimbledon winning streak into the semifinals against American Taylor Fritz.
Earlier, Fritz fired 16 aces defeating Karen Khachanov 6-3, 6-4, 1-6, 7-6(4) on No. 1 Court.
An optimistic Fritz said he’s happy to face the two-time defending champion for one reason—it’s not the red clay of Paris where the Californian went out in round one last month.
“I'm happy that we're not playing at the French Open on clay with the French Open balls 'cause that would be an absolute nightmare,” Fritz said with a smile. “Yeah, I think grass is very much so an equalizer. It can be an equalizer.
“So trust in how I'm playing. I truly know the way that I played the first two sets today, there's not much any opponent on the other side can do.”
Two-time Queen’s Club champion Alcaraz completely disarmed home hero Norrie today and muted the pro-British crowd.
Alcaraz tripled Norrie’s winner output—39 to 13—won 22 of 31 net points, permitted just 6 points on first serve and saved all 5 break points he faced in a comprehensive 99-minute win. This was Alcaraz’s most efficient victory since he overwhelmed qualifier Oliver Tarvet 6-1, 6-4, 6-4 in round today.
Grooving his game at the right time, Alcaraz aims to apply his all-court acumen against US Open finalist Fritz in a semifinal of two men who warmed up for Wimbledon winning grass-court titles.
“He’s playing great,” Alcaraz said of Fritz. “I think grass season for him has been really successful so far—two titles, semifinals here at Wimbledon.
“So I’m just gonna be ready for that battle. I played a few times against him. He’s really tough to play against. Just focused right now and I want to enjoy this moment because it’s really special another semifinal at Wimbledon.”
The second-seeded Spaniard calls grass court tennis “the most beautiful” form of the game.
Facing Norrie, Alcaraz administered beautiful brutality beating the Briton from all areas of the court.
A sharp Alcaraz blitzed the Briton in the opening set. Alcaraz won 17 of 20 first-serve points, smacked 11 more winners—16 to 5—and generally created magically mayhem from all areas of the court bursting to a one-set lead after a mere 28 minutes.
Alcaraz won 15 of 17 first-serve points in the second set surging to a two-set lead.
Mixing some high-bounding topspin forehands with ballistic flat forehand strikes, Alcaraz shredded Norrie from the baseline seizing a 5-2 third-set lead.
Former semifinalist Norrie saved a match point holding for 3-5, but that was the left-hander’s last stand.
Alcaraz wrapped an impressive victory in 99 minutes.