Taylor Fritz fails to control the ball at the net, allowing Carlos Alcaraz to hold after his most testing service game thus far (Alyson Rudd writes). Fritz is more comfortable serving to lead 3-2 and at last there was a very slight slice of tension.
The problem for Fritz is that Alcaraz is impervious to any notion that this semi-final could become less of a procession. It’s 4-3 going with serve.
Fritz avoids another early break
Taylor Fritz holds at the start of the second set, which is progress, given the mini debacle of the opening game of the match (Alyson Rudd writes). But Carlos Alcaraz simply does not look vulnerable on his serve at all.
By now a significant number of people have vacated the hottest seats perhaps thinking they could miss more of the same for a while.
Taylor Fritz held with some panache but the damage had been done early for the American as Carlos Alcaraz held again, sealing the game with a drop shot and a fist pump (Alyson Rudd writes).
A delicate exchange at the net, on the Fritz serve, ended with the No5 seed sprawled on the grass trying reach an impossible angle and the spectators roared with approval having been sleepily engaged in the heat until that juncture.
The No2 seed then served out for the first set as if still on the practice court. This is fait accompli tennis.
Carlos Alcaraz takes a 3-1 lead in spite of more imagination from Taylor Fritz, including a sizzling backhand return down the line (Alyson Rudd writes). At 40-30 in the fifth game, Alcaraz walks to his chair, prodding at his eye and then returned to face an ace.
At the changeover he was treated with eye drops. Serving at 40-30, the sun disappeared — even though no-one could see a cloud — and Alcaraz paused to look up, a little confused, but won the point all the same.
‘No-let’ rule hard to get used to
One thing I am struggling to get used to watching the juniors is the “no-let” rule (Joe Harston writes). As long as the ball lands in the service box play will continue, and apparently it has been that way since 2018.
It was basically implemented by the ITF in junior tennis to prevent disputes when matches are being self-refereed. That’s understandable, but at a junior grand-slam event like this it feels unnatural.
I’ve seen one or two “net-cord aces” this week and I think they’ve been followed by a more heartfelt apology than a normal point aided by the net.
Fritz broken in first game of match
And then, just as I was bigging up the American, Carlos Alcaraz wins the first point, on the Taylor Fritz serve, with a cruel drop shot (Alyson Rudd writes). In spite of producing an ace under pressure, Fritz loses the game with an Alcaraz return catching the net. The Spaniard then proceeded to deliver effortlessly to win his opening service to love.
You could hear the murmurings of concern that was going to be horribly one sided but then Fritz produced a faultless service game and everyone relaxed.
Fritz undaunted by challenge
Taylor Fritz is up against a player in his prime and on a 23 match winning streak (Alyson Rudd writes). But the American was as confident as anyone can be after knowing their next challenge is the defending champion and that was because the first two sets he played against Karen Khachanov in his quarter-final were almost ethereally splendid. It was the perfect example of what a player in the zone looks like. Bring it on!
“Come on Mimi, Swansea’s in the house!” shouts one member of the crowd from Mimi Xu’s home city (Joe Harston writes). She has the whole of Court 12 behind her right now but is a set down against Julieta Pareja.
Pareja is yet to drop a set in this year’s Wimbledon but Xu needs to make sure that changes quickly.
Alcaraz v Fritz moments away
We are only a few moments away from the start of the first men’s singles semi-final.
Carlos Alcaraz and Taylor Fritz have arrived on Centre Court and are warming up.
Xu a break down in first set
Mimi Xu is in action in the girls’ semi-finals and while she looked to have the better of Julieta Pareja, she finds herself a break down early in the first set (Joe Harston writes).
The American just about held serve after a long tussle of a third game. Then after Xu looked so dominant on serve, attacking aggressively at the net, Pareja levelled the game at deuce and eventually took control of the first set. She leads 4-1.
Dimitrov speaks after injury
Grigor Dimitrov had been two sets up against the world No1 Jannik Sinner in their fourth-round match on Monday and was playing superb tennis, but he was forced to retire when he suffered an injury.
The Bulgarian has today released a statement on Instagram that read: “Having to withdraw from this match at Wimbledon was one of the most painful moments of my career.
“Thank you for the overwhelming wave of love — from family, friends, fans, colleagues, to the entire tennis community… your messages have genuinely lifted me through these hard times.
“Recovery starts now. I’ll see you all soon.”
GRIGOR DIMITROV/INSTAGRAM
Can Fritz get first win over Alcaraz?
The first men’s semi-final between Carlos Alcaraz and Taylor Fritz will be the third meeting between these two players.
Alcaraz, the No2 seed and defending champion, has come out on top in each of their previous matches, with the most recent being a 6-2, 7-5 triumph over the American during last year’s Laver Cup.
What a time this would be for the No5 seed to earn his first win over the Spaniard.
PETER VAN DEN BERG/ISI PHOTOS/ISI PHOTOS VIA GETTY IMAGES
Frustration for Salisbury in mixed doubles
Joe Salisbury missed out on the opportunity to equal Virginia Wade and Jamie Murray’s joint record as the most successful British grand-slam players in the open era, falling short of a seventh major title in the Wimbledon mixed doubles final on Thursday (Stuart Fraser writes).
Salisbury and his Brazilian partner, Luisa Stefani, had stormed through the draw at the All England Club, winning four matches without dropping a set. But they could not continue their momentum when it mattered most in a tight championship match, losing 7-6 (7-3), 7-6 (7-3) to the Netherlands’ Sem Verbeek and the Czech Republic’s Katerina Siniakova.
• Read more: Joe Salisbury beaten in Wimbledon mixed doubles final
Queen of clay finds feet on grass
Iga Swiatek’s movement on clay has long been an artform (James Gheerbrant writes). On grass, where for years she has struggled, the problem wasn’t that she couldn’t slide. As she explained this week, it was that when she did, she felt like she was never going to stop.
At last year’s Wimbledon, she arrived as the top seed and world No1 and looked as helpless as ever on the lawns of the All England Club, losing to the unseeded Yulia Putintseva in the third round.
Swiatek now stands only one match from glory after beating Belinda Bencic 6-2, 6-0, as she bids to become only the eighth woman to win a grand-slam title on all three surfaces.
Read more: Iga Swiatek finds feet on grass with Bencic demolition
TIMES PHOTOGRAPHER MARC ASPLAND
First grand-slam final for Anisimova
In a tournament of shocks, this felt the most seismic, given the stage looked to be set for the No1 seed Aryna Sabalenka to finally reach a Wimbledon final, having lost in the semis twice before (Alyson Rudd writes).
Instead, in the battle of the big, clever hitters it was Amanda Anisimova, the American No13 seed, who hit harder more often and held her nerve in a tense three-set contest that, while enthralling, must have given plenty of viewers indigestion.
• Read more: Anisimova stuns Sabalenka to reach first Wimbledon final
ROBERT PRANGE/GETTY IMAGES
We have a little time until the main action on Centre Court gets under way, so let’s recap what went down in SW19 yesterday as well as looking forward to what may unfold today.
GB’s Slade beaten in quad wheelchair semis
Great Britain’s Gregory Slade was in early action today in the semi-finals of the quad wheelchair singles on Court 14.
The 23-year-old has been unable to reach his first grand-slam final after being beaten 6-1, 6-3 by
Sam Schroder, the No2 seed from the Netherlands.
Schroder will now face his compatriot Niels Vink in a repeat of last year’s final.
DAN ISTITENE/GETTY IMAGES
Line-calling system leaves spectators in dark
Amid all the frenzied debate about the accuracy and reliability of Hawk-Eye’s electronic line-calling (ELC) system at Wimbledon, there has been one patently obvious flaw during its use across the tennis tour: the lack of any visual indication after a ball has landed out (Stuart Fraser writes).
Those who have sat watching matches at Wimbledon this fortnight will know the feeling that this correspondent has repeatedly experienced at the biggest tournaments around the world. The awkward two to three seconds in which you are unsure about who has just won the point because it has been difficult to hear the automated audible call. It is only when the scoreboard updates that the confusion is settled.
• Read more: Wimbledon line-calling system leaves spectators in dark
Although much of the focus will be on the men’s singles semi-finals on Centre Court, there is British interest for home supporters to get excited about elsewhere.
Alfie Hewett will continue his bid for a second straight wheelchair singles title at Wimbledon when he faces Martín de la Puente, the No3 seed from Spain. Their semi-final will be on No1 Court today, after the women’s doubles semi-final between Olivia Gadecki/Desirae Krawczyk and Veronika Kudermetova/Elise Mertens.
Meanwhile, Mimi Xu, the 17-year-old Briton, will be involved in the second match on Court 12 as she faces Julieta Pareja, the No6 from the United States, for a place in the girls’ singles final.
DANIEL KOPATSCH/GETTY IMAGES
Today’s order of play at Wimbledon
Centre Court (starting at 1.30pm)
Men’s singles semi-finals:
Carlos Alcaraz (Sp, 2) v Taylor Fritz (US, 5)
Jannik Sinner (It, 1) v Novak Djokovic (Serb, 6)
No1 Court (starting at 1pm)
Women’s doubles semi-final: O Gadecki/D Krawczyk v V Kudermetova/E Mertens (8)
Men’s wheelchair singles semi-final: Alfie Hewett (2) v Martin de la Puente (3)
Women’s doubles semi-final: K Siniakova/T Townsend (1) v S Hsieh/J Ostapenko (4)
No3 Court (starting at 11am)
Women’s invitation doubles: N Broady/V King v K Flipkens/A Petkovic
Mixed invitation doubles: T Woodbridge/A Molik v G Rusedski/C Martinez
Men’s wheelchair singles semi-final: Tokito Oda (Japan, 1) v Gustavo Fernandez (Arg, 4)
Men’s invitation doubles: B Bryan/M Bryan v R Lindstedt/H Tecau
Mixed invitation doubles: N Zimonjic/M Navratilova v S Grosjean/I Majoli
Court 12 (starting at 11am)
Men’s invitation doubles: T Haas/F Lopez v J Cabal/R Farah
Girls’ singles semi-final: Mimi Xu (GB) v Julieta Pareja (US, 6)
Boys’ singles semi-final: Alexander Vasilev (Bul, 12) v Ronit Karki (US)
Boys’ doubles semi-final: O Bonding/J Leach (GB/US, 8) v M Rottgering/H Schoenmakers (Neth/Neth)
Girls’ doubles semi-final: T Frodin/J Pareja (US/US, 5) v J Pastikova/J Stusek (Cz/Ger)
Court 18 (starting at 11am)
Boys’ singles semi-final: Ivan Ivanov (Bul, 6) v Max Schoenhaus (Ger, 13)
Girls’ singles semi-final: Mia Pohankova (Slovakia) v Vendula Valdmannova (Cz)
Men’s invitation doubles: L Hewitt/M Philippoussis v J Chardy/B Soares
Boys’ doubles semi-finals: O Paldanius/A Wazny (4) v A Omarkhanov/E Pleshivtsev
Girls’ doubles semi-final: A Kovackova/ J Kovackova v K Penickova/V Valdmannova (8)
Welcome to Wimbledon day 12
It’s men’s semi-finals day at the All England Club and we cannot wait.
Carlos Alcaraz, the two-times defending champion, is first up on Centre Court against the No5 seed Taylor Fritz, with the 22-year-old Spaniard looking to reach a third straight Wimbledon final.
That match will be followed by what promises to be a fascinating contest between Jannik Sinner, the world No1, and the seven-times winner Novak Djokovic, who is still seeking a 25th grand-slam singles title.
We’ve got that plus much more with our reporters around the grounds in Wimbledon so stay with us for the latest updates.