Carlos Alcaraz made hard work of beating Jan-Lennard Struff to reach the Wimbledon last-16 on Saturday (NZ time), avoiding the fate of Australian Open champion Madison Keys, who joined the mass exodus of top seeds.
The Spanish second seed eventually overcame German world No 125 Struff 6-1, 3-6, 6-3, 6-4to stay on track for a third straight Wimbledon crown.
But Alcaraz, 22, will have to cut out his errors if he is to become just the fifth man in the Open era to perform that feat.
“I knew it was going to be really difficult. I had to be really focused. His game suits the grass with the big serves,” said Alcaraz.
“It’s stressful. To be honest, I was suffering in every service game today, 0-30, break points down.
“I’m really pleased that I was fighting, running for every ball and making great shots.”
Alcaraz, watched by former England captain Gary Lineker and former world heavyweight champion Anthony Joshua, made 28 unforced errors in an inconsistent display on Centre Court.
But he conjured enough moments of magic to eventually subdue the world No 125 and book his place in the fourth round, where he will meet Russia’s Andrey Rublev.
Alcaraz had been pushed to the brink in a five-set win over 38-year-old Italian Fabio Fognini in the first round and looked below his best again in a second-round victory over British amateur Oliver Tarvet.
Women seeds crash
The women’s draw is bereft of star names after the departure of a succession of top players.
Keys’ 6-3, 6-3 defeat by Germany’s Laura Siegemund means only top seed Aryna Sabalenka is still alive at the All England Club out of the top six women’s seeds.
Coco Gauff, Jessica Pegula, Jasmine Paolini and Zheng Qinwen have already fallen by the wayside.
On the men’s side, half of the top-10 seeds have gone, though Alcaraz and world No 1 Jannik Sinner are still standing.
US sixth seed Keys had won 13 of her 14 Grand Slam matches this year, but made 31 unforced errors in a lacklustre display against 37-year-old Siegemund, ranked 104 in the world.
Aryna Sabalenka after beating Emma Raducanu. Photo / Getty
Sabalenka is through to the fourth round after a straight-sets 7-6, 6-4 win over Brit Emma Raducanu.
Earlier at the All England Club, Japan’s four-time Grand Slam champion Naomi Osaka lost in three sets to Russia’s Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova, ranked 50th in the world.
Osaka has not reached the fourth round of a Grand Slam since she won the Australian Open in 2021 but is still hungry for success.
“I feel like while I still have the opportunity to try to do it, I want to, even though I get very upset when I lose, but I think that’s my competitive nature. That’s also the younger sister syndrome,” she said.
There were also wins for Britain’s Sonay Kartal, 13th seed Amanda Anisimova and Elise Mertens.
US men’s fifth seed Taylor Fritz avoided a third straight five-setter, beating Spains’ Alejandro Davidovich Fokina 6-4, 6-3, 6-7, 6-1.
Britain’s Cameron Norrie saw off Italian Mattia Bellucci in straight sets to qualify for the quarter-finals for the first time since 2022, when he reached the last four.
Highly promising Brazilian teenager Joao Fonseca was ousted by Chilean qualifier Nicolas Jarry.
It took US men’s 10th seed Ben Shelton just 71 seconds to complete his second-round match, sealing a 6-2, 7-5, 6-4 win against Australia’s Rinky Hijikata after the match was halted on Thursday due to failing light.
