Carlos Alcaraz douses Holger Rune fireworks to reach Wimbledon semis for first time | Tennis News – Times of India

NEW DELHI: Dubbed as the clash between two 20-year-olds, the Wimbledon quarter-final between Carlos Alcaraz and Holger Rune unfolded as a showdown of immense talent.
However, it was Alcaraz who demonstrated his superiority over his childhood friend Rune, extinguishing the Dane’s impressive performance with a resounding 7-6(3), 6-4, 6-4 victory. This triumph propelled Alcaraz into the semi-finals of Wimbledon for the first time.
Alcaraz and Rune, born just six days apart, showcased their remarkable skills in a contest that made history in the professional era. It marked the first time that two players under the age of 21 battled it out in a men’s Wimbledon quarter-final. Alcaraz’s exceptional display overshadowed Rune’s efforts, earning him the well-deserved victory and a coveted spot in the semi-finals of the prestigious tournament.

Despite his youth, Alcaraz is already at home among the elite of men’s tennis and produced the form that has carried him to the top of the rankings by never allowing Rune to gain the upper hand, no matter how many flashy shots he conjured.

After saving a break point in the opening game of the match, Alcaraz put on a majestic performance in front of Britain’s Queen Camilla to end Rune’s hopes of becoming the first Danish player in 65 years to reach the All England Club semi-finals.

Rune certainly won most of the crowd-pleasing points, whether it was a tweener between the legs or a stupendous reflex volley he hit at the net after Alcaraz had dashed back to the baseline to retrieve a lob.
But the Spaniard, already in the Grand Slam winner’s club after triumphing at the U.S. Open last year, refused to get flustered and kept winning the points that mattered.

After Alcaraz missed out on converting his first three match points, including producing a double fault on one of them, he sealed a semi-final showdown with Russian third seed Daniil Medvedev when Rune slapped a service return long.
After sharing a warm embrace at the net, the Spaniard leaned back and let out a might roar into the skies – showing just how much this win meant to him.

(With inputs from Reuters)