Alcaraz makes semi-finals at Queen's with win over Dimitrov

LONDON : Top seed Carlos Alcaraz reached the semi-finals at the Queen's Club Championships with a 6-4 6-4 victory over Bulgarian Grigor Dimitrov on Friday as the Spaniard warms up for Wimbledon.

The world No. 2 is playing on grass for the first time since his fourth-round Wimbledon exit last year as he acclimatises to the surface and the win was his best performance this week.

"The movement on grass, I try to move easy and move well," Alcaraz told the BBC. "I watched the best players in the world, trying to imitate them a bit. And I think I did well.

"I'm a guy who learns so fast . . . I'm playing at such a great level and feeling really, really comfortable playing on grass."

He will face big-serving American Sebastian Korda, who beat Briton Cameron Norrie 6-4 7-6(1) to extend his Queen's debut.

Australia's seventh seed Alex de Minaur was the first player to book a place in the semi-finals, holding off Adrian Mannarino of France for a 6-4 4-6 6-4 victory.

De Minaur faces second-seeded Dane Holger Rune on Saturday after the 20-year-old beat Italy's Lorenzo Musetti 6-4 7-5.

Alcaraz, who studied Andy Murray and Roger Federer to improve his tennis on grass, had 10 winners in the first set to Dimitrov's four but trailed the former Queen's champion 3-0 in the second before finding his rhythm and roaring back to win.

"Obviously the two matches before (Friday) helped me a lot," Alcaraz, 20, said.

Korda, meanwhile, cruised comfortably past fifth seed Norrie in the tiebreak, with the Briton double faulting to go down 4-0.

"I'm playing really well on grass and feeling really comfortable," said Korda. "I'm just enjoying myself.

"It's a great place. I've played some really good players this week. I'm definitely clicking."

Rune trailed Musetti