Fascinating men's semifinal match-ups to whet the fans' appetite
There are the upstarts turned top dogs in Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner, 22 and 23, who have swept the last six Slams and eight of the previous 11.
Finally, there is a talented intermediate in 27-year-old Taylor Fritz, into his first semifinal at the All England Club and carrying the burden of becoming the first American singles winner at a Major since Andy Roddick (2003 US Open).
For those who feared that men's tennis would be wild and capricious following the retirements of Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal, this is like a classic summer cocktail served on the rocks.
Of the two, the Alcaraz-Fritz match-up is more intriguing. The Spaniard and the American may not be quintessential grass-courters – are there any left? – but they are two of the best. They have met only once (excluding Laver Cup), a hard-court meeting that Alcaraz won at the 2023 Miami Masters.
However, they have accumulated significant grass pedigree since then. Alcaraz is a two-time defending champion at SW19 and has won Queen's Club twice. Fritz has excelled a few rungs below (ATP 250), securing both Stuttgart and Eastbourne this year, and also Eastbourne in 2024, 2022 and 2019. A first meeting on the lawns will be exciting.
Having the edge
In contrast, the Djokovic-Sinner tie breeds familiarity. Sinner leads the rivalry 5-4, but the Italian's edge is bigger than it appears, for he has won their last four matches and five of the previous six. The most recent was the ruthless, straight-sets dismantling in the Roland-Garros semifinal.
Djokovic and Sinner have also met on grass, in consecutive Wimbledon editions in 2022 and 2023. In that first meeting, Sinner even had Djokovic on the ropes, going two-sets-to-love up, before losing.
Three years and three Grand Slam titles since, it is tough to see the World No. 1 blow such a lead, but much will depend on how his right elbow feels. He played Ben Shelton in Wednesday's quarterfinal with heavy bandaging. Djokovic himself had a nasty fall on match-point against Flavio Cobolli and reportedly cancelled Thursday's practice.
It will be a pity if both are not at their optimum levels, for nothing but the best can see them through.
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