Photo credit: Tim Clayton/Getty
Wimbledon—Centre Court fans veered from side-to-side in their seats like front-row passengers on a rollercoaster ride.
Watching a Carlos Alcaraz match live isn’t a passive experience—it’s a participatory trip with twists and turns and the sudden pops of corks from champagne bottles.
Tonight, Alcaraz took fans on another thrill ride.
Hurling himself across the line for diving volleys, Alcaraz out-dueled big-serving Jan-Lennard Struff 6-1, 3-6, 6-3, 6-4 to land in the Wimbledon fourth round.
Alcaraz extended his career-best winning streak to 21 matches and scored his 17th consecutive Wimbledon win.
It was a tough test against an explosive opponent who pushed Alcaraz to the five-set limit at the 2022 Wimbledon.
Today, Alcaraz summed up a four-set adventure in a word “stressful.”
“I was suffering in every service game I did today,” Alcaraz said. “Love 30, break points down. It was stressful. He kept pushing me. I kind of survived and I am really happy that I got the break and it was done.”
The 22-year-old Spaniard continues his quest to join legendary Bjorn Borg and complete the Roland Garros-Wimbledon sweep in successive years. Struff was bombing serves in excess of 130 mph today leaving Alcaraz lunging for the blurring ball.
In the end, Alcaraz converted five of 12 break points raising a clenched fist to his box. Coach Juan Carlos Ferrero shot a fist right back then pointed an index finger to his temple signifying the mental strength his charge showed under fourth-set duress.
“I knew it was gonna be really really tough,” Alcaraz said. “I think his game suits [grass] pretty well.
“I’m really pleased with everything I’ve done today, fighting and making great shots. I tried to take the opportunities he brought to me in this match. Just proud to get the win.”
The two-time defending champion has been pushed and pressured through three rounds. Italian veteran Fabio Fognini took Alcaraz to five sets in his opener and Struff set his sights on doing the same.
Net play proved pivotal in a two-game span late in the fourth set that determined the match.
Serving down love-30, 3-4, Alcaraz showed guts and touch with a serve and drop volley winner. Alcaraz battled through that tense game to level at 4-all.
You can’t fault the 35-year-old Struff for going all in on second serve—often hitting the equivalent of two first serves–-because Alcaraz’s electrifying speed and shotmaking skill on the run came into play with some superb diving volleys.
Still, Struff hit two of his 10 double faults at 4-all in the fourth set that really hurt.
A massive miscue came with the German holding game point. Struff, who won 34 of 54 trips to net, had a point blank forehand volley on game point, but bungled it into net.
Exploiting that mind-numbing miss, Alcaraz bulleted a backhand pass down the line for a break point. When Struff slapped a backhand into the middle of the net, Alcaraz had the crucial break for 5-4 and could breathe easier.
Serving for the fourth round, Alcaraz pumped two of his 10 aces in succession, fired a forehand winner and wrapped a two hour, 25-minute victory with a love hold.
The five-time Grand Slam champion will face hard-hitting Andrey Rublev for a quarterfinal spot.
The 14th-seeded Rublev rolled French qualifier Adrian Mannarino 7-5, 6-2, 6-3.
Alcaraz has won two of three meetings vs the 27-year-old Rublev; the fourth round meeting will be their first grass clash.