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*Fritz 4-6 7-5 2-3 Alcaraz A double hands Alcaraz 0-15, and this is the thing: Fritz is excellent, but is he good enough to play well enough for long enough to dethrone the champ? Well, he wins his first point in 13, a start, reaches 40-15 with an ace, and though he secures the hold, he’ll be feart that little drop in standard will wind up costing him the set.
Fritz 4-6 7-5 1-3 Alcaraz* Alcaraz quickly makes 30-0 then Fritz, whose level has dropped a little, goes long on the forehand, making it 11 straight points he’s lost … 12 when a service winner seals the consolidation.
*Fritz 4-6 7-5 1-2 Alcaraz Alcaraz makes 0-15, then directs a monstrous backhand return cross-court, cleaning up with a brutal forehand, and with the ante upped, he’s responding; the cry of “Vamos!” tells us he knows this is a chance, another fine return prompts the error, and a drop followed by a lob secures the break to love. All it took was Fritz missing a few first serves and Alcaraz, whose tennis genius is not just creativity but timing, was there to take full advantage. That is a proper message.
Carlos Alcaraz has the break! Photograph: Adam Davy/PA
Fritz 4-6 7-5 1-1 Alcaraz* Now it’s Alcaraz holding to love, and this is now exactly the kind of match Fritz would’ve wanted it to be, coming down to a point here and there with breaking opportunities few and far between.
*Fritz 4-6 7-5 1-0 Alcaraz Alcaraz’s concentration looked to dip at the end of that second set, and I’m sure Fritz’s plan was to be in touch when that happened; he was, and he seized the moment really well. And he’s still hitting that same level, securing a love hold with an ace; he’ll be starting to believe.
Fritz nicks off for a break, so Alcaraz waits, standing, desperate to exorcise the end of that set.
Fritz 4-6 7-5 Alcaraz* A backhand into the net gives Fritz 0-15, and a fine return allows him to run around his backhand to punish a winner cross-court; he’s two points away from the set! And he then gets a second serve to attack … or he would were it not dumped into the net! Three set points to the American! And he only needs one, Alcaraz overhitting a forehand down the line, and do we got ourselves a ball-game? We got ourselves a ball-game! Fritz kept himself in front and built a bit of scoreboard pressure, so was there to advantage when the errors came! Alcaraz will be rueing those missed backhands in the previous game.
Taylor Fritz levels up the match! Photograph: Kirsty Wigglesworth/AP
*Fritz 4-6 6-5 Alcaraz When Alcaraz makes 0-15 you fear for Fritz, but given a go at a second serve, the champ sends his backhand return long; that’s quite an oversight, all the more so when he does it again next point, then again. In fairness, these serves are being hit hard – Fritz is taking care to play with conviction – but an error leaves him facing 40-30, a service winner guaranteeing him a tiebreak, at least.
Fritz 4-6 5-5 Alcaraz* Alcaraz makes 15-0, but Fritz plays a very smart next point, nailing his return, then banging a forehand to the line and coming in to put away a backhand volley; he’s in the game, all the more when the champ nets, put under pressure by the amped-up pace on Fritz’s groundstrokes. Alcaraz, though, then feints the drop only to slice to the corner, and quickly making 40-30, he wallops a what-was-the-fuss-about ace down the T.
*Fritz 4-6 5-4 Alcaraz Fritz sends a backhand wide for 15-all, but from there he holds easily, and Alcaraz must now serve to stay in the second set.
Fritz 4-6 4-4 Alcaraz* Off we go again, Alcaraz sending a high-kicking second serve that’s almost an ace. But when it comes back, he picks the wrong side for his putaway, the ball comes back with interest, and caught at the net, he’s passed; break point. So Alcaraz disburses a body-serve, the cunning so-and-so, Fritz unable to free his arms; he then makes advantage with a drop and pataway, before forcing a forehand to the corner, Fritz just unable to keep the riposte in the court. So Alcaraz comes through his first serious threat, but that’s encouraging for the American who, notes Andre, has turned up the volume on his rally backhand.
Fritz 4-6 4-3 Alcaraz* Agassi is so interesting to listen to; most recently, he explains that he liked to receive first, not because of the potential breaking opportunity, but because if he was trailing he’d have to be focused on every point, none taken for granted. Anyroad up, Fritz gets a look at a second serve … and guides a sumptuous backhand return, inside-out and cross-court, to make 0-15. By the standard, this is a chance, but someone in the crowd has a situation, so there’s a brief pause while the medics get involved, then we go again. Naturally, Alcaraz gets us going again with a service winner, and follows it with an ace, but when Fritz coaxes a backhand down the line, at 30-all, he has a chance. Someone else, though, has been taken poorly, so at a crucial moment in the game, we take a breath. Godspeed.
*Fritz 4-6 4-3 Alcaraz Fritz hits a backhand into the tape, ceding 15-all, but Alcaraz then goes long, unable to increase pressure. From there, Fritz secures his hold, and he’s pretty much doing everything he can.
Fritz 4-6 3-3 Alcaraz* How many of these do we think Alcaraz can win? The record is nine, held by the wonderful Martina, but if he okays as long as Djokovic, there’s a pretty decent chance he beats that. A peculiar thing to say of someone who only has two, but Alcaraz is a peculiar individual – in the best possible way. Another straightforward hold levels the set again, and this is intensifying.
*Fritz 4-6 3-2 Alcaraz Another straightforward hold for Fritz, who’s starting to enjoy himself. If he can make it to a tiebreaker, he can turn this set into one that’s decided by a shot here or there, his best chance of winning as per Stich v Edberg in 1991.
Fritz 4-6 2-2 Alcaraz* A serve-volley point makes 15-0, but at 30-0 Fritz reads a delivery out wide and punishes back a return down the line, earning the first point he’s won against a first serve. Then, at 40-15, Alcaraz caresses a volley marginally long – taking it for granted reckons Andre – and in the context, this feels like a chance. Shonuff, a netted forehand takes us to deuce, but down advantage, Fritz doesn’t have the hands to put away a volley. ‘Is there a way to ask your viewers if I’m talking to much?” wonders Andre. “I’m serious, I don’t have any experience of this.” Oh man, please talk more and more and more, all the time; the sonics of it are beautiful even before we enjoy the elucidation.
“If you’re including golf courses you might have to extend your definition from English to British!” reckons Richard Hirst; I have no authority on this matter but yes, that makes sense.
*Fritz 4-6 2-1 Alcaraz A long forehand hands Alcaraz 15-all, as we learn he’s won 19 matches on the spin at Wimbledon and 23 on the spin this year. Not bad. But it’s the only point he wins in the game, and he’s doing all he can – though the sense is the break will inevitably eventuate at some point.
Fritz 4-6 1-1 Alcaraz*Up in the rally, Fritz doesn’t do enough coming in to retrieve a poor drop so tries a tweener; Agassi is unimpressed, saying he’d fine him for that if he was his coach, and that the ball needed to go up into the sun. Meantime, the love hold is secured, and Alcaraz is offering almost nothing.
*Fritz 4-6 1-0 Alcaraz Fritz badly needs to get himself ahead in the set and he quickly makes 40-0, then Alcaraz thunks a forehand long. Save that first game, the American has served with authority.
Fritz 4-6 Alcaraz* Fritz calls the trainer to look at his elbow then alcaraz, staggering under the pressure of serving out the set, opens the game with a pair of aces … then a service winer. He’s now 15/15 on first-serve points, quickly takes the first set point, and that was pretty much faultless behaviour from the champ. It’s an absolute shanda how good he is.
“I’d like to humbly point you the direction of,” begins Chris Collinson.
”Music & DJs so many amazing artists
Photography: Rankin, Nick Knight
Design; Farrow, Peter Saville
Too many post production companies to list in Soho that are world beaters
Art: Tracy Emin, Damien Hirst
Stage & Screen: again too many to list. 007 anyone?!
Golf Courses: too many classic links to mention far superior to identikit US target layouts
For starters!”
Are we saying these guys are indisputably the best? I’m not so sure, though we can of course accept that they’re good
Carlos takes the opening set in fine style. Photograph: Tom Jenkins/The Guardian
*Fritz 4-5 Alcaraz At 30-15, Alcaraz lays a drop, Fritz retorts well … for all the good it does him, the champ gliding in to pat away a beauty across the face of the net and past his opponent’s dive. Everything he does he makes look so natural, so easy and so obvious and when he makes 30-40, he has set point … saved very well indeed by Fritz, who has to hit three excellent forehands to reach deuce. From there, the American closes out, forcing Alcaraz to serve for the set.
Fritz 3-5 Alcaraz* Oh man, up 15-0, Alcaraz hooks a forehand from middle to forehand corner, spininin viciously – the kind of shot you’d never have thought was on until it was proved to the contrary. From there, he secures a love hold, a gorgeous drop-volley finishing the game, and there’s no sense whatsoever that he can lose this match. He’s a game away from the first set.
*Fritz 3-4 Alcaraz Alcaraz’s ability to adjust on the fly, as he did with his second serve in that last game, is so impressive; he manages to combine the imagination of youth with the canniness of age. Fritz, though, is serving well now, an ace and a nice drop helping him to 40-0. Alcaraz then makes 40-15, mainly irrelevant as the American then closes out, but the gesture to his box, which says he can break from that position, tells us plenty about how he sees the game and how he sees himself.
Fritz 2-4 Alcaraz* Down 0-15, Alcaraz finds an ace, but at 30-15, Fritz out-rallies him from the back, then gets a look at a second serve – so far he’s won every point in this situation. This time, though, a kicker, swinging away, is too good, and forehand shovelled long secures the hold.
Excellent, here’s Chris Page with his regular wheelchair update: “Japanese no 1 seed Yui Kamiji just booked her place in the ladies’ wheelchair singles final over on Court 14, beating Li Xiaohui 6-2 6-2 in 1 hr 4 minutes. To be fair, neither player was at their best. I don’t blame either of them for not wanting to stay out in today’s heat.”
*Fritz 2-3 Alcaraz At 40-30, Alcaraz looks to have something in his eye, or a problem with a lens, so there’s a quick pause, then Fritz massacres an ace down the T, and save that first game he’s doing pretty well.
Fritz 1-3 Alcaraz* Agassi is another with a voice lower than the Dead Sea, intoning that he’s from Vegas so he looks at things in a way one might look at gambling. If you’vbe a 51% chance of losing and you stay at the table till they turn the lights off, you’ll lose; Fritz needs to do everything really well, but also on time. And he starts the game well, a huge forehand return backed up with another for 0-15; very quickly, it’s 30-15, but offered a look at a second serve, he leaps out wide and punishes an overhand backhand winner down the line. That’s exactly how he needs to play, but Alcaraz is so smart, a body-serve preventing him from freeing his arm, and ace down the T secures another hold. It’s beginning to feel like Fritz could play lights-out and still lose.
Andre Agassi in hairier times. Photograph: Ted Blackbrow/Daily Mail/Shutterstock
*Fritz 1-2 Alcaraz Better news for Fritz, who makes 30-0 as Alcaraz doesn’t connect with a half-volley drop; in comms, Andre Agassi – what an addition he is – notes that he might just have won the point in a more standard way, but concedes he’s not the same kind of talent. What a compliment that is. Meantime, Fritz holds to love, and he’ll be feeling a bit better about life nw he’s on the board.
Fritz 0-2 Alcaraz* Two big serves and 30-0; already, this is going poorly for Fritz, and an ace follows, then a return drops long, and a love hold endorses the break. This has been a near-perfect start from the champ.
*Fritz 0-1 Alcaraz Lovely start, Alcaraz laying a drop that’s way too good; 0-15. Already, Fritz will have doubt in his mind to stop him planting feet: is his opponent really going to hit deep, or is he faking? He quickly makes 15-30, then the American nets; a high-kicking ace saves the first break point, and the second is taken from him when Alcaraz hits into the tape and sees the ball tip over. Unlike Anisimova yesterday, he doesn’t salute the crowd but instead pretends he’s sorry; Aryna Sabalenka will be relieved at his absent candour
I’m sorry but I’m not sorry. Carlos Alcaraz breaks Fritz in the opening game. Photograph: Adam Vaughan/EPA
Righto, we’re ready to go. Fritz to serve; ready … play.
Tangentially, a strange thing: I’ve seen Radiohead, Stevie, Dave, Stormzy and Prince at the o2, but the only act that properly filled the space and didn’t make seem like a soulless hangar was the lowest fi of them all, Leonard Cohen.
Taylor Fritz has such a low voice my screen is shaking. I’d love to see him have a go at this.
And here they come! It looks beautiful out there.
Our playersn walk down the stairs and past the trophies. I interviewed Henry Patten at Wimbledon a while ago, and had the ludicrous privilege of kicking about the clubhouse. Mates, it is a place. There’s not much at which the English could be said to be the best, but they’re sporting venues – and crisps, and biscuits, and desserts – are right there.
“Had all four of my wisdom teeth yanked out in the same sitting by a former Air Force dentist,” brags Gregory Phillips. “The local anaesthesia didn’t work fully and I swill never forget the feeling of the root ripping out of my jawbone on the first one. Still makes me shiver 23 years later.”
I’ve had a fair few dental operations – as a kid, i was bending down behind someone to trip them up, the pusher acted before I was ready, and I ended up with a perfect arch carved into my front two teeth. The crowns then repeatedly came off – they were particularly impartial to Wham and Irn Bru bars – so I spent many teenage hours in the dentist’s chair, but this was a different thing entirely.
Is there a cultural reason Americans enjoy using what we in the UK consider to be surnames as first names? I know we’ve noted it – so too did Billy Connolly – but is there a reason? Perhaps Fritz Taylor can advise.
Nothing to do with tennis, but I’ve got the cricket on my second screen and they’re telling us about the Ruth Strauss Foundation. My eyeballs may be sweating, but Andrew Strauss: what a father, what a husband, what a man. Support him if you can.
It’s well hot in London today. In normal circumstances, you’d wonder if a 38-year-old would be able to cope with that, except that 38-year-old is one of the fittest athletes there’s ever been. I do, though, expect him to try and shorten points – he won’t want Sinner to work opportunities to plant his feet and unleash that forehand.
Replenish those fluids, Novak. Photograph: Ben Whitley/PA
Tracy Austin notes that Fritz has been improving on a yearly, and has won a couple of grass-court tournaments leading up to this one. The problem he has is his movement is nowhere near as good as Alcaraz’s, so he needs to finish points without really having the game to do that from the back against so accomplished an opponent – and, as Calv reminded us, his volleying isn’t all that. He’ll have to play the game of his life to make it close, and even then…
Anyone ever had a wisdom tooth schlepped out? Goodness me, that is, as Louis van Gaal was wont to say of an even worse activity – watching his Manchester United team play – “a process.” I did not expect to return home and begin violently shivering, but I guess it is men’s semi-final day, so.
Alcaraz must feeling impregnable. First, he beat Sinner from two sets and three match points down to win the French Open, again, then he somehow found a way to beat Jaume Munar at Queen’s before winning the title with some ease, and then he got by Fabio Fognini in the first round here when he looked in profound peril. The extent to which he adores being him is moving.
That, then, is a flat “no” to my question, ‘Could Fritz Stich-Edberg Alcaraz?’ – with an added caveat: “Stich could volley.”
So how will our matches go? Luckily, Coach Calv Betton messages in to tell us: “Can’t see any way Alcaraz loses. Even if Fritz serves well, he doesn’t return well enough and hasn’t won a set off him before. Sinner v Djokovic could be interesting just cos it’s on grass, but in both matches there’s nothing really exciting technically. They’re all just gonna play their games. Djokovic will try and move Sinner around. I suspect he’ll try and slice more as well. I saw him doing a lot in practice this week.”
Also going on:
England v India: third men’s cricket Test, day two – live
Wotcha one and all and welcome to Wimbledon 2025 – day 12!
Certain things are good every single time, in every single iteration – the world championships in snooker and darts, say, or when a newsreader accidentally drops a swear-word in their narration.
Wimbledon belongs in that category but, like all sporting tournaments, to be counted among the classics it requires epic contests in its final stages – and we’re at that point now. Yesterday, Amanda Anisimova and Aryna Sabalenka gave us what we needed; now it’s the turn of the men, and the portents are good.
Opening up on Centre Court, we’ve a contest of contrasts. Carlos Alcaraz. bidding for a third straight title, is a creative genius – a one-off talent fired by youthfulness and unmatchable self-belief, whose relationship to the game feels almost religious. Conversely, Taylor Fritz is searching, hoping that at some point, perhaps now, his simple power-game clicks for long enough to allow him to win an elusive grand slam title.
He knows that if Alcaraz is at his best, he has a problem. But he also knows that Alcaraz has form for getting lost in the supermarket, befuddled by the multitude of options such rich ability offers. If he serves as well as he can, he can create pressure, and pressure does funny things to anyone and everyone. It’s a long shot, but it’s a legitimate shot.
Following them on to court, we have a match-up that we are mandated to savour: anytime we’re lucky enough to see it could be the last time we’re lucky enough to see it. Jannik Sinner is the reigning champion at both the US and Australian Open, a tennis cyborg of equanimity and reliability. But his defeat in the Roland Garros final, from two sets up, will be with him forever – he knows he is never safe, in danger of defeat from any position – and he he also knows he was headed for elimination in round four, until Grigor Dimitrov’s right pec saved him. He is seeking redemption and reassurance, achievable only by winning matches such as today’s.
In Novak Djokovic, he faces an opponent from whom, for the first time, we’re not really sure what we’re going to get. It’s hard to accept, but the greatest tenniser of all time is old, his metronomic brilliance no longer a certainty. He was fantastic against Dan Evans and Miomir Kecmanovic, less so against better players in Alex de Minaur and Flavio Cobolli. We know he has a performance in him, but we no longer know if and when he’ll locate it – nor, if he does, whether it’ll be enough. And we also don’t know whether, if he loses, this’ll be the last time we see him elevate these courts.
Or, in other words, we’re about to watch four men show us how desperately they need this, prostrating their souls and desires for our entertainment and their fulfilment; on reflection, “good” doesn’t do it justice. This is what it’s all about.
Play: 1.30pm BST
