Ben Pawlowski
REIGNING Wimbledon champion Carlos Alcaraz booked his place in a third successive final at SW19 after a comfortable four-set win over No.5 seed Taylor Fritz on Friday.
The world No.2 will face arch-rival world No.1 Jannik Sinner in Sunday’s final in a thrilling repeat of last month’s French Open final, widely lauded as one of the greatest matches in Grand Slam history after the Spaniard pulled off a scarcely-believable comeback to claim the title..
Alcaraz produced a professional performance to see off his American opposition, hitting high-quality shots on the way to winning 6-4, 5-7, 6-3, 7-6 (8-6), much to the delight of a packed-out Centre Court crowd bathing in 32C sunshine.
“It was a really difficult match. It was tough with the conditions, really hot,” the 22-year-old Spaniard told the crowd post-match.
READ MORE: WATCH: Heartwarming moment Spain’s Carlos Alcaraz rushes to help Wimbledon fan overcome by 32C heat
He added: “I am just happy in the four sets, saving two set points. I am really proud about the way I stayed calm. I am really pleased about my level today.”
The match was Alcaraz’s 24th consecutive competitive victory.
Sinner will await Alcaraz on Sunday after the Italian breezed past 24-time Grand Slam winner Novak Djokovic 6-3, 6-3, 6-4, in a match symbolic of a changing of the guard in world tennis.
A win would make Alcaraz just the fifth man to win three successive Wimbledon titles – even if the man himself is not thinking about that right now.
“I don’t want to think about Sunday, I just want to think about this moment,” he said.
Click here to read more Sport News from The Olive Press.
