British interest in the Wimbledon singles is over after Cameron Norrie fell in straight sets to defending champion Carlos Alcaraz in a one-sided quarter-final.
Norrie was not only the last British player left but also the only unseeded player to make the last eight in the men’s singles, and Alcaraz made easy work of the British No3, winning 6-2 6-3 6-3.
Alcaraz will face the fifth seed Taylor Fritz in the semi-finals on Thursday, after the American defeated Russia’s Karen Khachanov in four sets earlier on Tuesday afternoon.
29-year-old Norrie, meanwhile, will see his ranking shoot up from 61st to the mid-40s after his spirited run at Wimbledon this year.
Critics of Alcaraz have said he too often comes through matches the hard way, but this was a business-like performance on Centre Court from the world No2, as he took the game to Norrie.
In the seventh meeting between the players but the first for two years, Alcaraz hit aggressive forehand winners and, particularly in the first and second set, produced a number of magnificent drop shots which his opponent could get nowhere near.
Norrie made the more assertive start and even had four break points in Alcaraz’s first service game, but the Spaniard saved them all and replied by breaking Norrie in the very next game.
A later break of serve in the set was secured when Alcaraz hit a spellbinding winner onto the baseline, with Norrie advanced but able only to watch it fly past him and land in.
Having lost the first set 6-2, Norrie could not wrestle control of the second set and was broken early again, losing it 6-3 and giving himself an almighty challenge to recover in the match.
The start of the third set saw the 2022 Wimbledon semi-finalist produce his best tennis of the match, yet a return to the last four of the competition was to prove a task too many for the former world No8.
Norrie was broken for 4-2 at a time when he was pushing Alcaraz hard for a break of his own. And despite saving a match point to hold firm at 3-5, he was only delaying the inevitable as Alcaraz became the third-youngest player in the Open Era to reach three consecutive men’s semi-finals at Wimbledon. Only Bjorn Borg and Rafael Nadal were younger than the 22-year-old Spaniard.
“I am just really happy,” said Alcaraz as he reflected on the match on the court afterwards. “To be able to play another semi-final here at Wimbledon is really special.
“At the beginning of the [first] week, I just wanted to go as far as I can. It [contesting another semi-final] is going to be great.
“I’m really happy with the level I played today against a really difficult player like Cam. He’s an amazing player and there’s not many players who fight as hard as him.”
Asked about the challenge of facing Fritz next, Alcaraz replied: “He’s playing great. On the grass, he’s been really successful so far. Two titles and a semi-final here at Wimbledon. I’ve just got to be ready for that.
“I will try to play the same level as today. Right now I just want to enjoy this moment.”
