No scares for Alcaraz as he blazes past Norrie into Wimbledon semis
Tennis - Wimbledon - All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club, London, Britain - July 8, 2025 Spain's Carlos Alcaraz celebrates after winning his quarter final match against Britain's Cameron Norrie REUTERS/Andrew Couldridge
LONDON - Carlos Alcaraz had warned that facing Cameron Norrie could be a nightmare. For a fleeting moment on Tuesday, it looked like the defending Wimbledon champion might be in for a fright.
The Spaniard stumbled early, trailing 0-40 in his opening service game on Centre Court. Any chance of an upset, however, was swiftly dashed as Alcaraz roared to a commanding 6-2 6-3 6-3 quarter-final victory -- one that should send a shudder down the spine of anyone hoping to dethrone him.
With hundreds of empty seats at the start -- fans still trickling back after Aryna Sabalenka's drawn-out quarter-final -- Alcaraz wasted no time asserting his dominance.
By the time the crowd returned to rally behind Britain's last remaining singles hope, the second seed had blazed through the first set in 28 minutes, dazzling with his trademark blend of power and flair.
Norrie, unseeded and unorthodox, did his best to resist. He even raised his arms in mock celebration after holding serve late in the third set.
But the outcome was never in doubt. Alcaraz, now on a 23-match winning streak, was simply too good.
Alcaraz's eighth Grand Slam semi-final will be against American Taylor Fritz but before he continues his quest for a third successive Wimbledon title he has two days off owing to the All England Club schedule.
Top stories
Swipe. Select. Stay informed.
Singapore NDP celebrations to be held at 5 heartland sites, including Bishan and Punggol, on Aug 10
Singapore Keep citizens at the centre of public service, Chan Chun Sing tells civil servants
Singapore Man arrested for allegedly throwing bottle at SMRT bus, injuring passenger
Asia As Trump plays tariffs hard ball, Asean has little choice but to play on
Asia PM Anwar called out by his own lawmakers as Malaysia's judicial crisis heats up
Singapore SIA flight from Brisbane to Singapore diverted to Perth due to technical issue
Sport Speeding likely cause of Diogo Jota car crash: Police
Business Great Eastern could resume trading after delisting vote fails to pass; OCBC's exit offer lapses
He would probably prefer to get straight back on court, such is the momentum he is building. When asked how he would use the time, one wag in the crowd suggested he could return to the Ibiza, the Balearic party island where he let his hair down after his second successive French Open title last month.
MORE SEDATE
A beaming Alcaraz said something more sedate would suffice.
"I might try to go to the city centre if I have time. I want to play some golf with my team which will be fun," he said.
"What I have been doing so far has worked so we will try to switch off together."
Former semi-finalist Norrie was the second British player Alcaraz has faced during this year's tournament having seen off qualifier Oliver Tarvet in the second round.
Tarvet stretched him far more than left-hander Norrie, but that was during a first week in which the five-times Grand Slam champion was working through the gears.
Any hope Norrie had of becoming only the third British player to knock out the defending Wimbledon men's champion were soon extinguished by the Spanish force of nature.
Having failed to convert four break points in the second game, Norrie gifted away his serve with double-fault and two games later his tentative volley allowed Alcaraz to wind up a ferocious dipping forehand that smacked the baseline.
Alcaraz had blown a hot and cold in his previous matches, but it is now the business end of the tournament and the rest of the match became a procession as he wrapped up his 34th win from 37 matches he has played on grass.
"To be able to play another semi-final here at Wimbledon is really special," Alcaraz said. "I want to go as far as I can and I am really happy with the level I played today against a really difficult player like Cam." REUTERS
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Straits Times
2 hours ago
- Straits Times
Portaluppi hopes Fluminense run gets Brazilian coaches more respect
Sign up now: Get ST's newsletters delivered to your inbox EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. - Fluminense's trip to the Club World Cup semi-final should net Brazilian coaches more respect, the club's manager Renato Portaluppi said on Tuesday, after their improbable deep run in the tournament ended in a 2-0 defeat to Chelsea. The former striker, who steered the team to the 1995 Rio de Janeiro championship as a player, turned them from relegation battlers into tournament threats in the span of just three months as manager, and the club received a hero's sendoff from fans at MetLife Stadium. A critic of the influx of foreign coaches in Brazilian club football, Portaluppi hopes the strong showing will shine a light on talent among Brazilian managers. "I hope that not only the rest of the world but Brazil, as well, can look at Brazilian coaches in a different way and appreciate them a little more," said Portaluppi, known as Renato Gaucho. "I have nothing against coaches from other places in the world but people talk a lot about them but pay little attention to Brazilian coaches... This Club World Cup allowed for Brazilian coaches to be seen in a better light and I hope that continues to be the case." South American fans brought a party atmosphere to the Club World Cup and their teams produced some thrilling surprise results against their European counterparts, in a tournament that organisers hoped would showcase the sport's global talent. The final South American team in the tournament can leave with their heads held high, said Portaluppi, promising to maintain momentum for their fans back home. Top stories Swipe. Select. Stay informed. Asia Why Japan and South Korea are on different paths in the latest US trade salvo Opinion Is Donald Trump unstoppable? Singapore Keep citizens at the centre of public service, Chan Chun Sing tells civil servants Business 'It's our grandfather's company, we won't sell', says Wong family as shareholders reject GE delisting bid Singapore Chuan Grove GLS site snags top bid of $703.6m from Sing Holdings-Sunway joint venture Singapore NDP celebrations to be held at 5 heartland sites, including Bishan and Punggol, on Aug 10 Sport Singapore U-16 girls given footballing lesson in first match of inaugural Lion City Cup girls' tournament Singapore Man arrested for allegedly throwing bottle at SMRT bus, injuring passenger "Our fans are now more excited, they're happier," he said. "They will expect the same performance from us back in Brazil." REUTERS
Straits Times
4 hours ago
- Straits Times
Swedes take to the air to book Euro 2025 knockout spot
LUCERNE, Switzerland - Sweden subjected Poland to an all-out aerial attack, scoring three headed goals in a 3-0 win to reach the knockout stages of the women's European Championship, with captain Kosovare Asllani playing the role of air traffic controller throughout. The mercurial 35-year-old sent an early looping header bouncing off the woodwork before teeing up Stina Blackstenius to open the scoring. She then netted a header herself after the break, with Lina Hurtig adding a third from a corner as the Swedes guaranteed a top-two spot in Group C and a place in the next round. They will face Germany in their final group game on Saturday to decide who finishes top. "The plan was to attack through the flanks and through the wings, because we knew we would have a lot of space there, so we tried to attack, and got a lot of crosses in," Asllani told Reuters. "The first goal, I waited one second extra, waited for their defenders to move, for me to chip it in to Stina. So it's three headers, three beautiful goals, the three points." The Swedes never relented, pushing down the wings throughout the game. "We had seen clips where they are centred themselves a lot, so it felt natural for us to go wide and work from there. It worked for the whole game, so we just kept going at it," midfielder Filippa Angeldahl told Reuters. Top stories Swipe. Select. Stay informed. Singapore NDP celebrations to be held at 5 heartland sites, including Bishan and Punggol, on Aug 10 Asia Why Japan and South Korea are on different paths in the latest US trade salvo Singapore Keep citizens at the centre of public service, Chan Chun Sing tells civil servants Singapore Man arrested for allegedly throwing bottle at SMRT bus, injuring passenger Asia As Trump plays tariffs hard ball, Asean has little choice but to play on Singapore Chuan Grove GLS site snags top bid of $703.6m from Sing Holdings-Sunway joint venture Asia PM Anwar called out by his own lawmakers as Malaysia's judicial crisis heats up Singapore SIA flight from Brisbane to Singapore diverted to Perth due to technical issue "We'll go through Germany and we'll take a lot of things with us from today. Obviously we're strong in the box and we want to get in the box as much as possible." With Poland and Denmark now eliminated, it remains to be seen whether the Swedes will adopt the same tactics against Germany when the two sides battle it out in Zurich, and Asllani had a steely look when asked what the plan would be. "We want to win the group. That's clear," she said. REUTERS
Straits Times
4 hours ago
- Straits Times
Apologetic Pedro undoes former club to send Chelsea to CWC final
Sign up now: Get ST's newsletters delivered to your inbox EAST RUTHERFORD, New Jersey - Joao Pedro kept the celebrations to a minimum after scoring twice to send Chelsea into the Club World Cup final, his goals proving the undoing of his former club Fluminense in a bittersweet meeting at MetLife Stadium on Tuesday. The 23-year-old Brazilian forward, who joined Chelsea from Brighton & Hove Albion six days ago, found the net in the 18th minute with a superb strike and again early in the second half with another excellent finish to seal his team's 2-0 victory and passage to the final. He held his hands up apologetically after each strike against the club where he spent his formative years, even as his teammates swarmed around him on the pitch, only briefly cracking a smile after the second goal. "They (Fluminense) gave everything to me. They showed me to the world. If I'm here, it's because they believed in me," said Pedro. "I'm very grateful but this is football - I have to be professional. I feel sorry for them but I have to do my job." Pedro made his debut for Chelsea in their 2-1 quarter-final win over Palmeiras on Friday with only a couple training sessions under his belt. Four days later, he was in the starting team. "Today I think because I started, I had more time to do my stuff and I had to score. The team won, the team played well and that's important," he added in televised remarks. Top stories Swipe. Select. Stay informed. Singapore NDP celebrations to be held at 5 heartland sites, including Bishan and Punggol, on Aug 10 Asia Why Japan and South Korea are on different paths in the latest US trade salvo Singapore Keep citizens at the centre of public service, Chan Chun Sing tells civil servants Singapore Man arrested for allegedly throwing bottle at SMRT bus, injuring passenger Asia As Trump plays tariffs hard ball, Asean has little choice but to play on Singapore Chuan Grove GLS site snags top bid of $703.6m from Sing Holdings-Sunway joint venture Asia PM Anwar called out by his own lawmakers as Malaysia's judicial crisis heats up Singapore SIA flight from Brisbane to Singapore diverted to Perth due to technical issue Pedro joined a month after Chelsea signed Liam Delap, as the club moved to plug a forward shortage. Chelsea face the winner of the second semi-final on Wednesday between Paris St Germain and Real Madrid. The final is set for Sunday at MetLife Stadium. REUTERS
