July 11, (THEWILL) — Carlos Alcaraz advanced to his third straight Wimbledon final on Friday, overcoming Taylor Fritz 6-4 5-7 6-3 7-6(6) in a commanding semi-final performance at the All England Club. The two-time defending champion demonstrated remarkable improvement in his serve, winning 88% of his first-serve points and delivering 13 aces throughout the match. Fritz, seeded fifth, fought valiantly but could not halt Alcaraz’s impressive streak of 20 consecutive victories at Wimbledon and 24 straight wins across all tournaments.
The opening set belonged entirely to Alcaraz, who broke Fritz in the first game and maintained perfect control thereafter. The Spaniard won all 15 of his first-serve points in the set, dropping just four points on serve overall whilst striking six aces. His clinical execution mirrored the dominance once associated with Pete Sampras on Centre Court, combining power with precision in a display that lasted barely 30 minutes. Fritz managed only three unforced errors in the set but found himself overwhelmed by Alcaraz’s serving excellence.
Fritz responded with renewed aggression in the second set, finally winning a point against the Alcaraz first serve at his 20th attempt. The American’s backhand proved particularly effective, enabling him to break serve at 4-3 and level the match by taking the set 7-5. His improved second-serve strategy kept Alcaraz at bay, whilst the defending champion contributed to his own downfall with a double fault and two crucial errors in the set he eventually lost.
The third set illustrated why facing Alcaraz remains tennis’s most demanding challenge. Despite Fritz maintaining his improved serving form, Alcaraz broke him to love early in the set, utilising a drop shot-lob combination that epitomised his tactical versatility. The Spaniard spent 39% of the set in attacking positions compared to Fritz’s 28%, reversing the trend from the previous two sets. By the time he closed out the set 6-3, Alcaraz had yet to drop a single point on serve.
Fritz forced a fourth-set tiebreak and even earned two match points at 6-4, but Alcaraz’s defensive skills proved decisive. Despite Fritz delivering a 134mph serve on the first match point, the Spaniard managed to turn defence into attack and force an error from his opponent. When Fritz sent a forehand long on his second opportunity, Alcaraz capitalised immediately, converting his first match point with a backhand that clipped the baseline. The victory sets up a final against either Novak Djokovic or Jannik Sinner, with both players representing the only competition capable of matching Alcaraz’s current level.
Jude Obafemi is a versatile senior Correspondent at THEWILL Newspapers, excelling in sourcing, researching, and delivering sports news stories for both print and digital publications.
