London [UK], July 11 : The two-time defending champion Carlos Alcaraz is just one win away from a hat-trick of Wimbledon titles, advancing to his third title clash following a hard-fought win against American Taylor Fritz on Friday.
Alcaraz managed to avoid the fifth set, defeating Fritz by 6-4, 5-7, 6-3, 7-6(6).
Competing at a sunbaked Centre Court, Alcaraz secured 88 per cent of his first-serve points and was pushed to his limits several times during the two hours and 48 minutes clash. There was a brief slump during the closing of the second set, but he activated his big match mode to craft a comeback in the third set.
Then in the fourth-set tie break, he saved two set points at 4/6 and secured four successive points to secure a victory. One more win could make him just the fifth-ever to secure a hat-trick of Wimbledon titles.
"It was a really difficult match, as always, when I have to play against Taylor. Even tougher with the conditions, it was really hot today," Alcaraz said as quoted by ATP's official website.
"I am just really happy with everything that I have done today. I dealt with the nerves, playing here in a semi-final is not easy. I am really proud of the way I stayed calm and thought clearly. I am pleased about my level today," he added.
Currently on his career-best 24-match win streak, Alcaraz is also aiming to join legendary Bjorn Borg as the second player of the Open Era to secure a French Open and Wimbledon double in successive year, with Borg having achieved that from 1978-1980.
"I am not thinking about the winning streak or the results at all. This is my dream, stepping on these beautiful courts and playing tennis in the most beautiful tournaments in the world. That is all I try to think about at every tournament and why I try to bring joy to the courts," he continued.
Standing in his path is either the world number one and rival Jannik Sinner or seven-time champion Novak Djokovic. Just last month, Alcaraz had a marathon five-hour, 29-minute match against Sinner at French Open, raising his head-to-head record against Sinner to 8-4.