Cameron Norrie loses to Carlos Alcaraz as last British hope tumbles out of Wimbledon
Carlos Alcaraz has beaten Cameron Norrie to reach the Wimbledon semi-finals, with no more Brits left in the competition.
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The Spaniard won in three straight sets as the 22-year-old second seed proved too much for the Brit.
The end result was 6-2 6-3 6-3 to the defending champion.
Speaking following the match, Alcaraz said he will be playing golf to wind down and take his mind off things in a composed post-match interview.
It was his fastest match so far at an hour and 39 minutes as he dispatched of Norrie.
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Norrie, who got into a heated discussion with his previous opponent Nicolas Jarry over his vocal celebrations, let out a big cry of ‘Come on’ after holding serve in the opening game, and promptly created four break points in the second.
But Alcaraz saved them all and from there the contest was played almost entirely on the Spaniard’s terms.
A double fault gave the second seed a break for 2-1, and he made it four games in a row with a forehand pass hooked improbably on to the baseline.
Alcaraz was enjoying himself, sending Norrie scrambling to all corners of Centre Court with fizzing forehands and artistic volleys, and it took the Spaniard just 28 minutes to wrap up the first set.
Norrie, who had won two of his last three meetings with Alcaraz, can rarely be faulted for effort but he was playing against someone with more clubs in his bag, and another precision drop shot from the 22-year-old gave him a third break of the match in the third game of the second set.
Alcaraz’s weapons also include a thumping serve and, when Norrie did create an opportunity to hit back in the sixth game, it disappeared in the flash of an ace.
The British player, who will see his ranking climb from 61 to just outside the top 40, was actually winning a majority of the long rallies, but dragging Alcaraz into the sort of dogfight he has made his trademark was much easier said than done.
Norrie fought hard to hold on to his serve in the early stages of the third set, and then saved a match point at 2-5, but it was simply delaying the inevitable.
Jack Draper's early round knockout and defeats for Emma Raducanu and Sonay Kartal in the women's draw had left Norrie as the only Brit left standing.
Alcaraz will play American star Taylor Fritz in the next round, who has reached his first ever Wimbledon semi-final.