Alcaraz steady progress at Wimbledon

(Dan Tri) - Carlos Alcaraz went through a four-set match when he defeated Jan-Lennard Struff with a score of 6-1, 3-6, 6-3, 6-4 in the second round of Wimbledon. Alcaraz extended his winning streak to 21 matches.

Carlos Alcaraz endured a challenging day at Wimbledon on the night of July 4, but once again the Spaniard showed his mettle to extend his career-best winning streak to 21 matches.

After overcoming Fabio Fognini in five sets in the first round, Alcaraz faced another tough challenge against Germany's Jan-Lennard Struff in their third-round encounter on centre court. However, Alcaraz withstood the pressure from Struff, producing some brilliant moments en route to a 6-1, 3-6, 6-3, 6-4 victory.

Alcaraz has won a ticket to the third round of Wimbledon (Photo: Getty).

“I suffered in every service game today. It was stressful. He kept pushing me. I stayed in the tournament and I'm really happy that I got the break and it's over," Alcaraz said.

Two-time champion Alcaraz is aiming to become only the fifth man in the Open Era to win three consecutive Wimbledon titles and has won his last 17 matches at the grass-court Grand Slam.

In a month that could go down in history, Alcaraz is also trying to join Bjorn Borg as the second man in history to win the Roland Garros-Wimbledon double in consecutive years. Last month, the Spaniard saved three championship points in a thrilling five-hour, 29-minute Roland Garros final against ATP World Tour No. 1 Jannik Sinner.

“I knew from the start it was going to be tough. I had to really focus on every shot and on my serve and return games. I think his game is quite suited to grass, with big serves, getting to the net as much as possible. I’m really happy with everything I did today. Fighting, running, hitting great shots. I tried to take advantage of the opportunities he gave me in the match and I’m very proud of how I won in four sets,” Alcaraz added of his win over Struff.

This was the fifth time Alcaraz and Struff have faced each other, and the No. 2 seed was in control from the start. The Spaniard troubled the German, constantly pulling Struff from corner to corner with his forehand. He also found great depth on the return to nullify Struff's biggest weapon, breaking him twice in the first set.

Alcaraz quickly regained his form after a slight decline in the second set (Photo: Getty).

However, as has happened to Alcaraz in the past, including his first-round win over Fognini, he briefly lost his rhythm. The world No. 2 won just 53 percent of his first-serve points in the second set and struggled to challenge Struff's serve.

Alcaraz's slump was only temporary, though. He found more consistency in the third set to regain control and then unleashed some stunning volleys in the fourth to finally close out the fight with Struff, winning after 2 hours and 25 minutes.

Alcaraz will next face Andrey Rublev after the 14th seed ended Frenchman Adrian Mannarino's winning streak with a comfortable 7-5, 6-2, 6-3 win. Rublev's best result at Wimbledon came in 2023 when he reached the quarter-finals. The 27-year-old will be looking to match that record when he faces Alcaraz in the pair's fourth meeting (Alcaraz leads 2-1).

Alcaraz is chasing his sixth title of the season, having won his fifth Grand Slam title at Roland Garros and ATP Masters 1000 titles in Monte Carlo and Rome. Earlier this month, he won The Queen's Club for the second time, with his last defeat coming in the Barcelona final in April.

Source: https://dantri.com.vn/the-thao/alcaraz-vung-vang-tien-buoc-tai-wimbledon-20250705071344686.htm