Tennis - Fun day - Alcaraz reaches Wimbledon finale
Title defender Carlos Alcaraz raised his arms, showed the thumb up - and on the tribune, his parents kissed each other. The defending champion had made it through to the semifinals against Daniil Medvedev and now had the chance for his second Wimbledon triumph. The 21-year-old Spaniard won after starting off with difficulties, 6:7 (1:7), 6:3, 6:4, 6:4, and qualified for the second time in a row for the final of the most traditional tennis tournament.
"I'm really happy about my performance. I started very, very nervous", said Alcaraz relieved. At the beginning of the second set, he tried to calm down: "It was helpful to be leading 3:1. After that, I could play my own game."
Flawless record in Grand Slam finals
In his fourth Grand Slam final, Alcaraz will face either Novak Djokovic or Italian outsider Lorenzo Musetti on Sunday. Less than a month ago, Alcaraz had crowned himself champion at the French Open against Alexander Zverev. In all three of his previous Grand Slam finals, the young Spaniard has emerged victorious.
The situation before the title decision at Wimbledon is nothing new for him, explained Alcaraz: "I know how I feel before the final." He will try to be even better than in 2023, when he dethroned seven-time Wimbledon champion Djokovic, said Alcaraz. And he joked about the upcoming Euro 2024 football final between Spain and England on Sunday in Berlin.
"It's going to be a good day for the Spanish", said the 21-year-old and tried to calm down the restless crowd. "I didn't say that Spain is going to win. I just said that it's going to be a fun day."
First Italian win at Wimbledon for Jasmine Paolini
Jasmine Paolini will try to secure the first Italian win at Wimbledon ever for the women on Saturday (3:00 PM CEST/Eastern European Time) against Barbora Krejcikova. The French Open finalist is aiming for her first Grand Slam title. For Krejcikova, it's about the second Major success after her triumph in Paris in 2021.
Warning for Medvedev
The repeat semifinal victory against Medvedev could be a good omen for Alcaraz. A year ago at the same venue, Alcaraz had defeated Medvedev in three dominant sets.
The 15,000 spectators on Centre Court saw a weaker start from the Spanish exceptional player. However, Alcaraz made things look easy in the rest of the match. "I tried to do different things. I tried not to have too many long rallies", he explained.
The semifinalists provided a fluctuating and first set with four service breaks and plenty of back-and-forth. Alcaraz varied the tempo. However, he made more uncharacteristic errors than usual. His first serve came rarely.
The atmosphere heated up briefly when Medvedev received a warning from referee Eva Asderaki for unsportsmanlike conduct during a changeover. The umpire called for the supervisor because Medvedev apparently fled. Earlier, the umpire had ended a point with an interjection when the ball had bounced twice before Medvedev reached the stop ball.
Alcaraz demonstrates his class
Medvedev secured the first set and dominated the tiebreak decisively. However, the tide turned in the match. Alcaraz responded to the set deficit by raising his level and playing more aggressively.
In the passageways two and three, the Spanish third-ranked player took the serve away from the US Open champion of 2021 early in each set and laid the foundation for his 2:1-set lead. When Medvedev gave up a break in the fourth set, it looked like a safe win for Alcaraz. Medvedev made a comeback, but Alcaraz was no longer stoppable and won after 2 hours and 55 minutes.
- Regardless of the outcome of the Wimbledon finals, Carlos Alcaraz has already secured a place in the history books of tennis, having won all three of his previous Grand Slam finals.
- The United Kingdom, home to the prestigious Wimbledon tournament, will be hosting another thrilling final this year, with Carlos Alcaraz set to defend his title against either Novak Djokovic or Lorenzo Musetti.
- Daniil Medvedev, a formidable opponent, will be facing off against Carlos Alcaraz in the semifinals of Wimbledon, a repeat of their 2022 encounter at the same tournament.
- The International tennis circuit has been buzzing with excitement, as the United Kingdom prepares to host the final rounds of Wimbledon, with Spain's Carlos Alcaraz leading the charge for the title.
- London, the capital city of the United Kingdom, will be the stage for another epic tennis battle between Carlos Alcaraz and Daniil Medvedev, as they both strive for victory in the Wimbledon semifinals.
- Carlos Alcaraz, currently ranked third in the world, will be aiming to defend his Wimbledon title against Daniil Medvedev, with the final set to be held in the historic courts of the All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club in London, United Kingdom.
- Golf may not be the sport usually associated with Paris, France, but tennis fans worldwide are eagerly anticipating the upcoming Roland Garros tournament, where Alexander Zverev and Daniil Medvedev will be competing for the title, just as they did in last year's French Open final.
