The Spaniard, Carlos Alcaraz went up against the 32- year-old Bulgarian, Grigor Dimitrov and beat him in straight sets (6-4,6-4). The audience were found to be in awe of the skills of the world number 2, especially his point in what could be one of the World’s longest rally.
Carlitos went up against Dimitrov, who was once nicknamed Baby Fed for the similarities between his style of play and Roger Federer’s. Even though the 2014 champ had better serve and experience on the grass, young Carlitos put up a consistent fight and won. This would be the first ATP semifinals on grass for the young top-seed.
Carlos Alcaraz, Dimitrov’s fascinating rally wowed the fans
In the first set of what could have been a breakpoint for Dimitrov, the most beautiful quality of tennis was displayed from both the players. What might have been one of the longest rallies with 23 shots, it was Charly who took the win.
Both the players covered the court and each stroke was thought out by both the players, until Charly’s exquisite slice gave him the net point.
WHAT A POINT đ€Ż@carlosalcaraz & Dimitrov getting the absolute BEST out of each other đ„#cinchChampionships pic.twitter.com/gkfdW2DCao
— Tennis TV (@TennisTV) June 23, 2023
Alcaraz just recently spoke out about how he is completely invested in gaining experience so that he can get better. He has been watching videos and matches of Andy Murray and Roger Federer to improve his game on grass. The expertise he is displaying in the Queen’s Championship shows that he is ready to fight at the Wimbledon.
What is the World’s longest rally in Tennis?
In the world of tennis, there have been so many long rallies that has left fans flabbergasted.
A few tennis fans might remember the longest-ever rally recorded in a competition back in 1999. It was the semi-final match of the US Open when Andre Agassi and Pete Sampras were up against each other. The ball went back and forth over the net 51 times before Sampras hit the ball out.
More recently, in 2013 Australian Open, Frenchmen Frenchmen Gilles Simon and Gael Monfils went up against each other. About 1 hour 40 minutes into the match, these exceptional athletes were able to hit the ball over the net 71 times until Monfils hits it out.
However, the research in the Library of Wimbledon Tennis Museum suggests that these are insignificant compared to their actual record. According to this, the longest rally in a tournament was when Jean Hepner and Vicky Nelson. It dates back to 1984 when these two competitors passed the ball over the net 643 times.
So, while it felt like one of the longest rallies, Carlos and Grigor were in deficit of 640 more shots to have beaten the record.
Are there other notably long rallies that come to mind? Let us know in the comments below!
