Wimbledon: Alcaraz rallies past Medvedev to seal final return

By Sports Desk July 12, 2024

Carlos Alcaraz will have the chance to defend his Wimbledon title after coming from behind to beat Daniil Medvedev in the semi-finals on Friday.

The 21-year-old endured another shaky start, but in the end, was too good for the Russian as he won 6-7 (1-7) 6-3 6-4 6-4 in just under three hours on Centre Court.

Both players got multiple breaks in the first set as momentum ebbed and flowed, though Medvedev looked to be running away with it as he raced into a 5-2 lead.

Alcaraz rallied to force a tie-break, though the Russian took advantage of another slip in concentration as he dropped only one point.

The defending champion, who made a slow start to his quarter-final as well, soon hit his stride and, with the help of an early break, easily held out to win the second.

It was much the same story in the third set as Alcaraz caused more problems with his aggressive serve, not allowing Medvedev back in after edging in front.

The world number five showed some of his early fight in the final set, trading breaks with Alcaraz, but after unsuccessfully defending a break point, he could not maintain his momentum, leaving an opening for the Spaniard to get the win.

He will face either seven-time champion Novak Djokovic or Lorenzo Musetti for the title on Sunday.

Data Debrief: Back-to-back finals for Alcaraz

Despite not playing at his best for the majority of Wimbledon, Alcaraz once again showed what he was made of.

He is into his fourth final in 14 grand slam main draws, and should he win on Sunday, he could become the youngest player in the Open era to win the men's singles at Roland Garros and Wimbledon in a calendar year.

Since the ATP rankings were first published in 1973, Alcaraz has become the youngest player to achieve top-five wins on grass, clay and hard court in consecutive seasons (2023 and 2024).

Indeed, he is just the third player under 22 to win his first five matches of the season against top five opponents, after Bjorn Borg (1977-78) and Rafael Nadal (2006-07). 

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