Carlos Alcaraz secured a victory in the clash of the two most recent Queen's Club champions, moving closer to his second consecutive Wimbledon title with a captivating 5-7, 6-4, 6-2, 6-2 quarterfinal win against American Tommy Paul on Tuesday.
Paul displayed remarkable shot-making skills, taking an early 7-5, 2-0 lead and eliciting cheers from the Court One spectators, making life challenging for the third seed. As Alcaraz pursued the winners off Paul's racket, the Spaniard frequently slid and slipped on the worn baseline, with the match taking place under a closed roof due to another rainy day in London.
However, Paul's aspirations of ending the 21-year drought for a U.S. men's Grand Slam champion at the All England Club this weekend were ultimately dashed as the 21-year-old Alcaraz delivered in critical moments to dominate the final two sets. Despite saving 19 break points, Paul lost serve eight times, which was sufficient for the versatile Alcaraz, a major winner on three different surfaces, to clinch the victory.
After over three hours on court, the third seed secured his 12th consecutive win at the grasscourt major when Paul hit the ball wide. Alcaraz, who will face 2021 US Open champion Daniil Medvedev in a rematch of last year's semifinal, expressed his thoughts in an on-court interview.
"He's been playing exceptional tennis on grass, winning Queen's last month, and has been impressive at Wimbledon, defeating top players. Today was a really tough match for me," Alcaraz said. "In the first set and the beginning of the second, it felt like I was playing on clay, with long rallies and every point lasting over 10-15 shots."
"I had to remain mentally strong after losing the first set; it was challenging. It was a long match, so I was pleased to find the solutions to win."
