BIG GUNS COLLIDE: Alcaraz, Medvedev book semis duel

LONDON, United Kingdom (AFP) — Defending champion Carlos Alcaraz and Daniil Medvedev set up a Wimbledon semifinal repeat while Donna Vekic ended the magical run of New Zealand qualifier Lulu Sun.

Alcaraz battled back from a set down to defeat Tommy Paul 5-7, 6-4, 6-2, 6-2 while Medvedev stunned world No. 1 Jannik Sinner, who suffered a mid-match health scare, 6-7 (7/9), 6-4, 7-6 (7/4), 2-6, 6-3.

Vekic recovered to defeat Sun 5-7, 6-4, 6-1 to reach her first Slam semifinal where she will take on Italian late bloomer Jasmine Paolini, who swept past Emma Navarro 6-2, 6-1.

Spanish world No. 3 Alcaraz, seeking a fourth Grand Slam title, was broken twice by 12th-seeded Paul in a 72-minute first set.

Paul raced into a two-game lead in the second set before Alcaraz got back on level terms.

Three breaks in the third set put the Spaniard in charge and he stepped up another gear in the fourth, making just four unforced errors.

Alcaraz, seeking to become just the sixth man to capture the French Open and Wimbledon titles back to back, defeated Medvedev in straight sets in last year’s Wimbledon semifinals.

“Hopefully, I’m going to get the same result,” he said.

“But he won against Jannik Sinner, the best player right now, so I know that he’s in really good shape.”

Fifth-ranked Medvedev avenged his Australian Open final loss to Sinner in a four-hour quarterfinal win.

Medvedev, 28, will be playing in his ninth Grand Slam semifinal.

Sinner, a semifinalist in 2023, required medical treatment early in the third set as he appeared dazed and unsteady on his feet.

He had his blood pressure taken before undergoing a medical time-out.

“It’s always tricky because you want to play more points to make him suffer a little bit more but in a good way,” Medvedev said.

In a tight first set in which neither man gave up a breakpoint, Medvedev edged ahead in the tie-break on the back of a lung-busting 33-shot rally.

However, he squandered a set point and his game suddenly fell apart, serving up a double fault as Sinner pocketed the opener.

The mercurial Russian leveled the quarterfinal before Sinner summoned the tournament physio after falling a break down in the third set.

After a 10-minute delay, the 22-year-old resumed play and thrilled the Centre Court crowd when he bravely clawed his way back to 5-5.

He then wasted two set points, which allowed Medvedev to sweep through the tie-break.

However, the Italian was undaunted and leveled the quarter-final before Medvedev finished the fresher of the two players, breaking in the fourth game of the final set on his way to victory.

“I was not feeling great. I didn’t vomit but I took some time because I was quite dizzy,” Sinner said.