Defending champion Alcaraz runs past Paul, setting Wimbledon semi-final rematch with Medvedev

While top-seeded Jannik Sinner was being ousted on Centre Court on Tuesday at Wimbledon, third-seeded Carlos Alcaraz had just dropped a marathon opening set to American upstart Tommy Paul on No.1 Court. 

The dream semi-final between Sinner and Alcaraz already up in smoke, would we see absolute carnage on Tuesday on the men’s side? 

No, said Alcaraz, who responded to Paul’s opening salvo with three breathtaking sets to take his spot in the Wimbledon semi-finals, 5-7, 6-4, 6-2, 6-2. 

“Of course today was a really difficult match for me,” Alcaraz said after stretching his Grand Slam winning streak to 12. “At the beginning of the first set and the beginning of the second set it was kind of like I was playing on clay. Big rallies, over 10, 15 shots for every point. I had to stay strong mentally at the beginning when I lost the first set, it was difficult but I knew that it was [going to be] a really long journey and a really long match.” 

The victory stretches the defending Wimbledon champion’s winning streak at SW19 to 12 as well– he will face Daniil Medvedev for a spot in the final on Friday. 

Paul, so stunning in his trip to his first Wimbledon quarter-final, raised eyebrows when he rallied from a break down and eventually secured the opening set with a backhand passing shot to take it, 7-5. 

Paul moved ahead by a break in the second set as well, taking eight of the first nine sets of the stanza to lead 2-0. But the 12th-seeded American’s lead – and momentum would be short-lived as Alcaraz gradually took control of the run of play, popping Paul’s balloon and racing away with the final three sets to complete his victory in three hours and 11 minutes. 

In total, Alcaraz won 18 of the final 24 games of the match.

Alcaraz, who improved to 16-2 lifetime at Wimbledon and 3-2 against Paul (1-0 against Paul at the majors), broke serve seven times across the final three sets and held down the fort on serve as he sauntered to the finish line, closing the contest with a love hold. 

He finished with 36 winners and 37 unforced errors, while 27-year-old Paul hit 21 winners against 50 unforced errors. 

Impressive numbers for Alcaraz

By advancing to the semi-finals for the second time at the age of 21, Alcaraz Alcaraz becomes the 8th man in the Open Era to reach multiple Wimbledon semifinals aged 21 or under, joining Boris Becker, Bjorn Borg, Goran Ivanisevic, John McEnroe, Nadal, Andy Roddick and Pete Sampras. 

The Spaniard is the third man from his country to reach multiple Wimbledon semi-finals, along with Nadal (8) and Manuel Santana (2). 

“Hopefully I’m gonna get the same result”

He leads Medvedev in 4-2 in the head-to-head, and the pair have split their two previous Grand Slam semi-finals, at Wimbledon and the US Open last year. 

“Well, he’s a really great player and it’s the same semi-final as last year,” Alcaraz said with a smile. “Hopefully I’m gonna get the same result.

“He just beat Jannik Sinner, the [world No 1] right now, so I know that he’s in really good shape, so I have to play my best, I have to believe in myself and I have to keep going if I want to beat him. It’s going to be a difficult one but I’m going to enjoy.” 

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