Author: Barkha Roy
Carlos Alcaraz emerged victorious in a clash between two 20-year-olds at Wimbledon, beating Holger Rune 7-6(3), 6-4, 6-4. This victory took Alcaraz to his first men’s singles semi-final at Wimbledon. The match between Alcaraz and Rune, the world number 6, marked an important event in the history of the Open Era, as it was the first men’s quarter-final at Wimbledon to be contested by players under the age of 21. The players showed their youthful freedom and entertained the enthusiastic crowd on center court with their impressive shooting skills.
During the intense two-hour-and-twenty-minute encounter, the two engaged in a thrilling battle of destructive throws. However, it was Alcaraz, ranked number 1 in the world, who showed composure and skill at crucial moments, becoming the youngest man since Novak Djokovic in 2007 to reach the Wimbledon semi-finals.
In a separate match, Daniil Medvedev halted Christopher Eubanks ‘ remarkable run at Wimbledon by winning in a hard-fought five-setter. Medvedev beat the American 6-4, 1-6, 4-6, 7-6(4), 6-1 to book his place in the semi-finals of the grass-court major for the first time. Eubanks, who was recently outside the top 100 of the Pepperstone ATP Rankings, caught the world’s attention by reaching the quarter-finals. Despite coming very close to a place in the semi-finals, Eubanks lost in the tie-break, as Medvedev showed resilience and mastery of the baseline when it mattered most. The match lasted two hours and fifty-seven minutes.
In women’s singles action, Aryna Sabalenka came within one win of ending Iga Swiatek’s 67-week reign as the highest-ranked player on the Hologic WTA Tour. Sabalenka reached this milestone by defeating number 25 seed Madison Keys 6-2, 6-4 in the Wimbledon quarter-finals. Sabalenka now faces the challenge of overcoming No. 6 seed Ons Jabeur, who eliminated defending champion Elena Rybakina in a three-set battle to claim the top spot.
Moreover, avenging her defeat to Elena Rybakina in last year’s Wimbledon final, Ons Jabeur emerged victorious in her sequel. Jabeur recovered from a set down and a 4-4 draw in the second set of Wednesday’s quarter-final, winning eight of the next nine games. In the end, she defeated third seed and defending champion Rybakina 6-7(5), 6-4, 6-1 to secure her third career Grand Slam semi-final appearance.