LONDON — Defending Wimbledon champion Carlos Alcaraz returned to the semifinals with an enthralling comeback on Tuesday but there will be no blockbuster showdown with Jannik Sinner after the world number one was dragged the distance and dumped out.
Having taken his Grand Slam tally to three at the French Open last month, Mr. Alcaraz pushed on in his quest to retain a major trophy for the first time and cement his big-league status by rallying past American Tommy Paul 5-7 6-4 6-2 6-2.
The clash between the two most recent Queen’s Club champions still produced some breathtaking shot-making on Court One before Paul’s bid to end a 21-year US wait for a men’s Grand Slam champion faded.
Mr. Sinner is another of the men’s tour’s young guns who was heavily backed to succeed at the grasscourt Grand Slam after his breakthrough Australian Open triumph and a potential encounter with Mr. Alcaraz had left fans excited following the draw.
The ailing 22-year-old came crashing down to earth against fifth seed Daniil Medvedev in a rematch of their Melbourne Park title clash, however, a sobering result that snapped a run of five straight wins over the Russian.
BRAVE FIGHT
Mr. Sinner put up a brave fight under the Centre Court roof after a timeout due to illness but the Italian was unable to prevent a 6-7(7) 6-4 7-6(4) 2-6 6-3 defeat.
Sinner’s compatriot Jasmine Paolini was grinning from ear to ear on the main showcourt after her utterly dominant performance against American 19th seed Emma Navarro later on Tuesday.
The seventh seed cruised to a 6-2 6-1 victory in 58 minutes on another damp day at Wimbledon to set up a meeting with Croatian Donna Vekic, who ended the extraordinary run of 123rd ranked qualifier Lulu Sun.
Ms. Vekic had serious doubts about the durability of her knee after surgery in 2021 and considered quitting, but she now finds herself in a maiden semifinal on the grandest stage. — Reuters
