Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz lead the upper half at Wimbledon
Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner claimed the opening two Major titles of the season in Melbourne and Paris. Two great rivals are among the favorites at Wimbledon, and only one can compete in the final! Alcaraz and Sinner share the top half at the All England Club, with the seven-time winner Novak Djokovic leading the bottom half with Alexander Zverev.
Sinner arrived in London after winning his first grass-court ATP title in Halle, hoping for another deep run in the cathedral of tennis after reaching the semi-final a year ago. Alcaraz was a player to beat on grass last year, conquering Queen’s and Wimbledon despite lacking experience on the fastest surface.
The Spaniard failed to defend the Queen’s crown, falling to an in-form Jack Draper and looking for a better performance at Wimbledon. Sinner will have to endure a stern test in the second round, facing his compatriot and the former finalist, Matteo Berrettini.
Things will only get more challenging for world no. 1 in the following rounds, and he should bring his A-game to achieve a good result.
Alcaraz has a couple of tricky rivals in his quarter, but we should see him in the last four if he presents his usual level. Jannik and Carlos met in the fourth round at Wimbledon two years ago, with the Italian advancing in four sets.
Their ninth and most recent encounter came in the Roland Garros semi-final a couple of weeks ago. Alcaraz notched a 2-6, 6-3, 3-6, 6-4, 6-3 win in four hours and nine minutes en route to his first Roland Garros final. It was a challenging match, with both players struggling physically.
Carlos trailed two times and stayed focused, raising his level after the third set and emerging at the top. Sinner won two points more than his rival but not the pivotal ones in the closing stages of the encounter. Jannik fought well despite struggling with cramps and the pain around his troubled hip.
Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz could meet in the Wimbledon semi-final.
However, it was not enough to carry him through, as he experienced his first Major loss of the season.
The Spaniard controlled the pace and landed 65 winners and 58 unforced errors. We saw six breaks on each side, and Carlos saved his successful return games for the closing stages of the duel. Also, Alcaraz produced a hold in the final 11 service games, keeping the pressure on the other side and moving over the top with two breaks in sets four and five.
The Spaniard made a terrible start, serving at 81% in the first set but getting broken three times. Jannik broke in the first game of the duel, held at love in the next one and clinched another return game after the rival’s wild forehand for 3-0.
Carlos pulled one break back in game six before wasting a 40-15 in the next one, suffering the third break of serve and pushing his opponent 5-2 in front. Sinner held in the eighth game for 6-2 after 40 minutes.
The Spaniard experienced another break at the beginning of the second set before shifting into a higher gear and turning the tables.
Jannik held with a forehand winner in game two before losing ground, allowing his opponent to take six of the next seven games. Carlos pulled the break back in game four with a forehand crosscourt winner and moved in front with another return game on his tally at 3-2.
Alcaraz served for the set at 5-3 and landed a service winner, wrapping up the set and equalling the overall score after an hour and a half. Despite physical issues in the third set, Jannik clinched back-to-back breaks and overpowered Carlos for another advantage.
The Spaniard broke first in the third game before losing ground. The Italian broke back in the next one and denied four break points in game five for 3-2. Jannik painted a backhand return winner in the sixth game, earning a break and moving in front.
Sinner served for the set in game nine and forced Alcaraz’s mistake, opening two sets to one advantage after two hours and 28 minutes.
They served well in the fourth set, heading toward a tie break. However, Alcaraz held in game nine for 5-4 and made a push on the return in the next one. Jannik missed a routine smash at 30-15, and things would never be the same for him!
Carlos attacked with his backhand and forced Sinner’s mistake, seizing a set point with a backhand winner and forcing a decider after three hours and 15 minutes. With a boost on his side, Alcaraz clinched a break in the second game of the final set with a forehand down the line winner and cemented it with a drop shot winner in the next one, forging a 3-0 advantage.
They served well in the upcoming games, and Jannik prolonged the battle with a hold in game eight. The Spaniard served for the win in game nine and created two match points with service winners. He squandered them before seizing the third with a forced error, booking a place in his first Roland Garros final.