Norrie won their last meeting on the clay of Rio de Janeiro two years ago, when Alcaraz was just a teenager. Now, this lad from Murcia in southeastern Spain is looking to add his name to the honours board at the All England Club for the third time, aged just 23. Only a fool would bet against him at this juncture.

Carlos Alcaraz had warned that facing Cameron Norrie could be a nightmare. For a fleeting moment on Tuesday, it looked like the defending Wimbledon champion might be in for a fright.

Two-time defending champion Carlos Alcaraz reached the Wimbledon semifinals by beating Cameron Norrie 6-2, 6-3, 6-3