Alcaraz, unperturbed and waiting patiently at the back of the court, regrouped and came out of the blocks with an extra spring. Cranking into gear, Alcaraz roared to his player box as he broke to love early in the third set, running the 6ft 4in Fritz ragged with a drop-shot and then a lob.

The No. 2-seeded Alcaraz takes a 24-match winning streak into the final, where he will face either No. 1 Jannik Sinner or 24-time major champion Novak Djokovic.