Alcaraz reverses Rublev to advance to Wimbledon quarter-finals

(Dan Tri) - Carlos Alcaraz showed the mettle of a top tennis player when he came from behind to defeat Andrey Rublev with a score of 6-7(5), 6-3, 6-4, 6-4 in the fourth round on the night of July 6, thereby advancing to the Wimbledonfinal quarters.

Although Alcaraz was behind in the first set to Rublev, the defending men's singles champion quickly regained his form and performed at his best level at this year's tournament. This was Alcaraz's 22nd consecutive ATP win, and the first match between two Top 20 players in the men's singles at Wimbledon this year.

“Andrey is one of the strongest players, if not the strongest, we have on Tour,” Alcaraz said after the match. “The way he attacks, especially his forehand, it's really tough. When you play against him, you feel like he's pushing you to the limit on every ball, making you run from one side to the other.”

Alcaraz made a spectacular comeback against Rublev (Photo: Getty).

The 22-year-old Spaniard also expressed satisfaction with his tactics and movement: “That made it really difficult to play against him, but I was really happy with the way I moved today. I think I played smart and clever against him. Tactically, it was a really good match so I'm really proud.”

World No. 14 Rublev showed remarkable resilience but could not prevent Alcaraz from earning the only break in each of the second, third and fourth sets. The highlight of the match was perhaps Alcaraz's winner to break in the seventh game of the third set. Despite Rublev's near-perfect serve, Alcaraz was able to run out of the court to meet his opponent's backhand with a stunning cross-court forehand on the move.

Alcaraz stressed the importance of believing in yourself: "I always say it's important to believe in yourself. It didn't matter that I lost the tie-break in the first set, but then I started the comeback by breaking serve in the seventh game of the second set. Tennis is a sport that can change in one point. One point can change the whole match and turn everything around, so you have to be on your toes at all times. Be mentally strong.

I knew I was going to play better. In the first set, I was only a few points away from winning, so I thought, 'Keep going, make the most of the chances he gives me.' The break I made in the second set turned things around. I started to feel comfortable, calm and was thinking more clearly."

Alcaraz shows formidable character at Wimbledon (Photo: Getty).

Despite winning the title at Queen's Club before Wimbledon, Alcaraz has struggled in his opening three Grand Slam grass-court matches. The five-time Grand Slam champion, who is aiming to join Bjorn Borg as the only men in the Open Era to complete the Roland Garros-Wimbledon double in consecutive years, suffered a five-set defeat to Fabio Fognini in the first round and a set loss to Jan-Lennard Struff in the third.

However, Alcaraz's performance against Rublev sent a strong message to the rest of the tournament. The world No. 2 served accurately throughout the match, winning 82% (64/78) of first-served points and hitting 41 winners to Rublev's 29.

With the win, Alcaraz improved his head-to-head record against Rublev to 3-1 and extended his winning streak against Top 20 players to eight straight. He also has a 23-9 record against Top 20 players at Grand Slam events. Alcaraz's next quarterfinal opponent will be home favorite Cameron Norrie, who defeated Nicolas Jarry in a four-and-a-half-hour match 6-3, 7-6(4), 6-7(7), 6-7(5), 6-3.

Source: https://dantri.com.vn/the-thao/alcaraz-nguoc-dong-ha-rublev-tien-vao-tu-ket-wimbledon-20250707055455118.htm