LONDON — Defending champion Carlos Alcaraz and top-ranked Jannik Sinner are one match away from another high-stakes meeting in the Wimbledon semifinals.
Both men reached the quarterfinals on Sunday as Alcaraz held off an attempted comeback by Ugo Humbert to win 6-3, 6-4, 1-6, 7-5 on Centre Court. Sinner then beat Ben Shelton 6-2, 6-4, 7-6 (9) on No. 1 Court after saving four set points in the third set.
Alcaraz beat Sinner in five sets in the French Open semifinals in June en route to his first title at Roland Garros and the two would meet again in the last four if they win their next matches. Alcaraz will play the winner between No. 12 Tommy Paul and Roberto Bautista Agut while Sinner — this year’s Australian Open champion — faces No. 5 Daniil Medvedev or No. 10 Grigor Dimitrov.
Both players came up with some spectacular shots when it mattered on Sunday.
Alcaraz’s match against Humbert had seemed all but over when the Spaniard clinched the second set by chasing down several seemingly out-of-reach shots on set point, even falling over after hitting one forehand and quickly getting back up to get to the next ball.
Asked to describe his play on that point, Alcaraz just said: “Unbelievable, I guess.”
Humbert nearly staged a surprising comeback and threatened to take the match into a fifth set when he held three straight break points for a 5-3 lead in the fourth. But Alcaraz came back to win that game with the help of a couple of aces, then broke for a 6-5 lead by hitting a deep forehand winner.
He set up match point with one of his delicate forehand drop shots and converted it with a service winner.
“I felt great playing today, I think I played at a really high level,” Alcaraz said.
Sinner had to come from 4-1 down in the third set and held for 5-5 after wrapping his racket behind his back and hitting the ball between his legs to get it over the net, then followed it up with a forehand passing shot to clinch the game.
“That was just luck,” Sinner said about his shot.
Sinner then saved one set point at 6-5 and three more in the tiebreaker before converting his second match point when the hard-serving Shelton double-faulted.
Shelton was trying to reach his first Wimbledon quarterfinal but was coming off three straight five-set wins, including one over Denis Shapovalov that finished on Saturday.
Sinner is into the last eight for the third year in a row, having lost to Novak Djokovic in last year’s semifinals.
Earlier, French Open runner-up Jasmine Paolini reached her first Wimbledon quarterfinal when Madison Keys had to retire with a leg injury at 5-5 in the third set of their fourth-round match.
Keys had served for the match at 5-2 in the last set but then started limping more and more and needed a medical timeout to get her left leg worked on after Paolini made it 5-4. She had her left thigh taped as she served for the match for a second time but was broken again — double-faulting on break point — and was in tears by the end of that game, with her movement clearly restricted.
Keys tried to play on but the American finally went to the net to tell the chair umpire on No. 1 Court that she was retiring after Paolini hit an ace for 15-15 in the final game.
The Italian had won the first set 6-3, before Keys won the second 7-6 (6).
Keys had been two points from the win when the score was deuce at 5-2 in the third.
“I’m so sorry for her. To end the match like this, it’s bad,” Paolini said in her on-court interview. “What can I say? We played a really good match. It was really tough. A lot of ups and downs. I’m feeling a little bit happy, but also sad for her. It’s not easy to win like that.”
Paolini is the fifth Italian woman to reach the Wimbledon quarterfinals in the professional era, and will try to become the first to make the semifinals. She will face the winner between No. 2 Coco Gauff and 19th-seeded Emma Navarro, who played later on Centre Court.
Keys, the 2017 U.S. Open runner-up, was trying to reach the last eight for the second year in a row at the All England Club, and third time overall.
In a thrilling day of tennis at Wimbledon, two rising stars in the men’s game, Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner, have advanced to the quarterfinals of the prestigious tournament. Both players have been making waves in the tennis world with their impressive performances and are now set to face off against some of the top players in the world.
Alcaraz, a 18-year-old from Spain, has been on a tear at Wimbledon, defeating seasoned players like Stefanos Tsitsipas and Daniil Medvedev on his way to the quarterfinals. Known for his aggressive style of play and powerful forehand, Alcaraz has quickly become a fan favorite at the tournament. His win over Medvedev in the fourth round was particularly impressive, as he showed great composure and mental toughness to come back from a set down and secure the victory.
On the other hand, Sinner, a 19-year-old from Italy, has also been making a name for himself at Wimbledon. He has defeated top players like Alexander Zverev and Gael Monfils to reach the quarterfinals. Sinner is known for his all-around game and ability to dictate play from the baseline. His match against Zverev in the fourth round was a display of his talent and determination, as he fought back from a set down to win in five sets.
Both Alcaraz and Sinner are part of a new generation of young players who are challenging the established order in men’s tennis. Their success at Wimbledon is a testament to their hard work and dedication to the sport. As they prepare to face off in the quarterfinals, tennis fans around the world are eagerly anticipating what promises to be an exciting and competitive match.
With their impressive performances so far, Alcaraz and Sinner have shown that they have what it takes to compete at the highest level of the sport. As they continue their journey at Wimbledon, all eyes will be on these two young stars as they look to make their mark on one of tennis’s most prestigious tournaments.