Defending Wimbledon champion Carlos Alcaraz was given another tough litmus test by plucky German Jan-Lennard Struff but the second seed battled his way to a 6-1 3-6 6-3 6-4 victory and reached the fourth round on Friday.
An off-colour Alcaraz had flirted with danger in his five-set opener against Italian veteran Fabio Fognini before mowing down Oliver Tarvet in the last round, begging the question of which avatar of the Spaniard would turn up.
The 22-year-old, who was taken the distance by Struff before winning their meeting at the All England Club in 2022, began the match with a double fault and sprayed errors on Centre Court but rediscovered his rhythm to book a clash with Andrey Rublev.
“I knew that it was going to be really, really difficult,” Alcaraz said. “I had to be really focused on every side, on my service games and the return.
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“His game suits the grass – big serves, getting to the net as much as he can. So I’m just really pleased about everything that I’ve done today, fighting, running, making great shots.
“I tried to make the most of the opportunities he gave me in the match and I’m proud about getting the win in four sets.”
Alcaraz saved two break points in his second service game and then broke for a 3-1 lead, gaining the foothold he needed in the match before wrapping up the opening stanza on serve, hitting a huge ace on set point.
But in a Jekyll and Hyde type switch, with shadows engulfing the main showcourt, the five-time Grand Slam winner surrendered the next set as Struff recovered an early break and went on to level the match comfortably.
An untimely double fault from Struff in the second game of the third set gave Alcaraz the platform to re-establish his lead and the twice Wimbledon champion never looked back from there until he closed it out with another big serve.
Elsewhere, more than nine hours on court across 14 gruelling sets has proved just the tonic for Taylor Fritz’s creaky joints, with the world number five declaring himself fresher than ever after reaching Wimbledon’s fourth round on Friday.
The American was taken the distance in his opening two matches before defeating Spaniard Alejandro Davidovich Fokina 6-4 6-3 6-7(5) 6-1 on Centre Court, extending his stay at the All England Club.
There were also wins for seeds Karen Khachanov and Andrey Rublev, while Cameron Norrie is the only British player left in the men’s draw after a 7-6, 6-4, 6-3 win over Mattia Bellucci.
In the women’s, four-time major winner Naomi Osaka came up short in her quest to reach round four of Wimbledon for the first time before Australian Open champion Madison Keys became the latest seeded casualty.
Former world number one Osaka – a two-time champion at both the US Open and Australian Open – surrendered a one-set lead to lose 3-6 6-4 6-4 to 2021 French Open finalist Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova.
American sixth seed Keys was then on the receiving end of a major shock in the next women’s match on Court Two, losing 6-3 6-3 to 37-year-old German Laura Siegemund.
The 30-year-old became the sixth top-10 player to be dumped out of the competition and did not speak to the media post-match due to illness.
Seeded trio Amanda Anisimova, Linda Noskova and Elise Mertens did progress on day five, in addition to Argentinian lucky loser Solana Sierra.
Unseeded Osaka – playing in the third round of the Championships for the first time in seven years – looked set to claim a small piece of personal history before failing to capitalise on two break points at 4-4 in set two.
She missed the 2021, 2022 and 2023 editions of the tournament due to mental health issues, injury and pregnancy respectively.
The 27-year-old Japanese player has struggled to make an impact at grand slams since the birth of her daughter Shai two years ago and was knocked out of the recent French Open in the first round by Paula Badosa.
“In Paris, I was very emotional,” she said. “Now I don’t feel anything, so I guess I’d prefer to feel nothing than everything.
“It’s not like I can really even be mad at myself. I was thinking about the break points that I had. She hit some really good serves. Then she hit a backhand. I can’t really do that much about it.
“Obviously I’m still going to beat myself up a little bit.
“I’m just going to be a negative human being today. I’m so sorry. I have nothing positive to say about myself, which is something I’m working on.”
Sierra – conqueror of Katie Boulter in round two – continued her impressive Wimbledon debut by beating Cristina Bucsa 7-5 1-6 6-1 and will face Siegemund, who is 16 years her senior, next.
American 13th seed Anisimova defeated Hungary’s Dalma Galfi 6-3 5-7 6-3. Czech 20-year-old Noskova, seeded 30th, awaits her after she beat Kamilla Rakhimova 7-6 (6) 7-5.
Belgian 24th seed Mertens overcame two-time semi-finalist Elina Svitolina 6-1 7-6 (4).
