Paolini, Alcaraz pounce into Wimbledon Semis as Sinner, Navarro crash out

Wimbledon, 

Tuesday, 9 July, 2024 

McCreadie Andias 

As the Wimbledon took pace to the semi Finals stage, The WTA saw Seventh seed Jasmine Paolini (28) blazed past American Emma Navarro (23) 6-2, 6-1 on Tuesday, becoming the first Italian woman to make the Wimbledon semi-finals where she faces experienced Croatian Donna Vekic.

Paolini's victory ensured she eclipsed compatriots Camila Giorgi (2018), Francesca Schiavone (2009), Silvia Farina Elia (2003) and Laura Golarsa (1989), who had all reached the quarter-finals at the grasscourt Grand Slam in the Open era.

Navarro drew first blood in the third game with a forehand rocket but Paolini responded immediately and the French Open runner-up then ramped up the pressure after some heavy exchanges from the baseline to pull away for a 5-2 lead in the opening set.

The Italian mixed things up against her American opponent to comfortably win her fifth straight game and take the first set in double quick time on Centre Court.

Navarro, who had never lost in three previous meetings with Paolini, gave herself a fighting chance with two break points in the third game of the next set but the 19th seed was unable to convert either.

Her hopes of reaching a first Grand Slam semi-final faded further as Paolini took a 5-1 lead, having staved off another comeback attempt.

Paolini wobbled slightly as she looked to land the knockout blow on serve but a wayward shot from Navarro sent her through.

In the men's tournament, Carlos Alcaraz produced the goods on the crunch moments to end the spellbinding contest with a 5-7, 6-4, 6-2, 6-2 victory over Paul.

Alcaraz earned four break points in the opening game, including a pulsating 14-shot rally which he capped by smashing the ball away with his back almost turned to the net. Yet all four of those opportunities went begging.

The third seed was kept on his toes for 17 captivating minutes as he was forced to save four break points while being stretched to nine deuces before he finally managed to hold serve on his sixth game point - and all this effort just to get to 3-3 in the first set. 

Meanwhile, Fifth seed Daniil Medvedev edged out world number one Jannik Sinner in a gruelling five-set battle to reach the Wimbledon semi-finals for the second successive year on Tuesday.

A strange match full of momentum shifts and lulls was absorbing rather than gripping but Medvedev did not care as he triumphed 6-7(7), 6-4, 7-6(4), 2-6, 6-3 on a covered Centre Court.

It snapped Medvedev's five-match losing sequence to Sinner and avenged his bitter defeat by the Italian in this year's Australian Open final when he squandered a two-set lead.

Medvedev, who is bidding to add to his 2021 US Open title, will face defending champion Carlos Alcaraz in his ninth Grand Slam semi-final.

"I knew if I wanted to beat Jannik it needs to be a tough match. He's not any more a guy you can beat easy," the engaging Medvedev said on court.

"It's actually very tough. One moment I could feel that he doesn't move that well so it's always tricky because you want to play more points to make him suffer a little bit more. In a good way.

"But you know at one point he was like 'OK I can't run anymore and I'll go full power' and that's what he did."

Top seed Sinner, who fell at the semi-final stage last year to Novak Djokovic, won the opening set in a tight tiebreak after saving a set point.

But mistakes began to creep into his game, and after losing the second set courtesy of a sloppy service game he required medical attention early after dropping serve at 1-1 in the third and disappeared off-court, apparently feeling ill.

"Already this morning I didn't feel great. Had some problems. Then with the fatigue, it was tough," said Sinner.

"But take nothing away from Daniil. I think he played very smart. He played good tennis. That's it."

"It was not an easy moment. I tried to fight with that what I had today." Sinner.