(London) Carlos Alcaraz continued his learning on grass by qualifying Friday evening for the semi-finals of the Queen’s tournament against Bulgarian Grigor Dimitrov in two sets 6-4, 6-4.
The 2e world player only trembled at the start of the second round against 26e world, winner of the London tournament in 2014, but who had to pass this year by the qualifications to integrate the main draw.
The young Spaniard made the break from the very first game of the game. Dimitrov, 32, got three balls of equalization in 3 games everywhere on opposing service. But this long game – 11 minutes 30 seconds – finally turned in favor of Alcaraz (4-2), who maintained their lead before quietly concluding four games later with a shutout after 40 minutes of play.
Facing an opponent he had dominated in their first two meetings without dropping a single set, at Bercy in 2022 and on clay in Madrid in early May, Alcaraz missed their start to the second set, finding themselves trailing 3-0. .
But the ex-N. 3 in the world, who never really realized the hopes placed in him when he appeared on the circuit fifteen years ago, did not hold up.
After giving up the next four games, he nevertheless recovered at 4-4 by taking the Spaniard’s service for the second time in the match. Before immediately giving up his commitment, with a double fault in the key, and allowing Alcaraz to win on his first match point.
For only the third grass-court tournament of his career, after Wimbledon 2021 (defeat on 2e round) and Wimbledon 2022 (defeat in the eighth), Alcaraz will face in the semi-final the American Sebastian Korda, who tamed the local hero, Cameron Norrie (N.5) 6-4, 7-6 (7/1).
Dane Holger Rune, seeded N.2 who had never won a game on grass before this Queen’s, showed off his progress on the surface to dismiss Italian Lorenzo Musetti (N.6) 6-4 7 -5.
The young Dane, who could settle in the 5e place in the ATP rankings if crowned in London, will face Australian Alex de Minaur for a place in the final, who stopped Frenchman Adrien Mannarino, 46e world player, 6-4, 4-6, 6-4.
Fallen in the previous round of the American Taylor Fritz, seeded N.3, Mannarino, 34, hung on as much as he could against the 18e world and seeded number 7, but he almost never had the upper hand in the game.