Two-time defending champion Carlos Alcaraz produced a Wimbledon masterclass to end British hope Cameron Norrie’s run and move into the semi-finals once again.
Second seed Alcaraz underlined why he is the tournament favourite with a scintillating 6-2 6-3 6-3 win.
The Spaniard will face Taylor Fritz – the American fifth seed bidding for a first major title – in the last four.
Fritz secured his place in the Wimbledon semi-finals for the first time with a 6-3 6-4 1-6 7-6 (7-4) victory over Russia’s Karen Khachanov.
Alcaraz is seeded behind Italian rival Jannik Sinner because of their respective world rankings, but his superior record on grass courts – and current hot streak – makes him the man to beat.
Victory over Norrie marked a 23rd win in a row for Alcaraz, who is bidding to become the fifth man to win three successive Wimbledon titles in the Open era.
“I’m really happy. To play another Wimbledon semi-final is super special,” said Alcaraz, who secured victory in one hour and 39 minutes.
“My confidence is really high, I’m feeling great. It was my best match so far in the tournament.”
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Norrie’s defeat signals the end of British interest in the Wimbledon singles for another year.
But, when the dust settles on a brutally one-sided result, the 29-year-old left-hander will take positives from his run after a difficult 18 months.
After saving four break points in his opening service game, five-time Grand Slam champion Alcaraz quickly upped his level and wowed the Centre Court crowd with his all-court ability.
With Alcaraz serving strongly, hammering groundstrokes and moving elegantly around the court, 61st-ranked Norrie had little chance of causing a shock.
“His level was unreal. I felt if I didn’t do enough with the ball, he was going to punish me with a lot of his different options,” he said.
Norrie, who had been bidding to match his run to the last four in 2022, will regain his place in the world’s top 50 when the ATP rankings are updated next week.
