Carlos Alcaraz reaches Wimbledon quarter-final despite issues with serve
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Current Wimbledon titleholder Carlos Alcaraz was broken five times by Ugo Humbert, but managed to bounce back and secure a spot in the quarter-finals.
Alcaraz had been on the court for almost four hours during an intense win against Frances Tiafoe on Friday and seemed eager to move forward as he quickly won the first two sets.
Humbert responded with confidence and grace to break Alcaraz three times, leading to a fourth set where he secured two more breaks to go up 4-3.
However, the player ranked third in the world gradually improved their performance to secure a victory with a score of 6-3, 6-4, 1-6, 7-5 on the seventh day of the tournament.
The player from Spain didn't start off strong in his last three matches. He had to win tie-breaks in the first set against Mark Lajal and Aleksandar Vukic, who were not seeded. However, things changed in his latest match against Tiafoe.
While the Centre Court roof was closed in preparation for rain, Alcaraz managed to break his opponent in the fifth game.
Humbert had a chance to score first, but he missed his opportunity. Then, Alcaraz made a great shot with his forehand, which gave him another chance to score. He made sure to seize this opportunity and win the point.
By the halfway point of the second set, Humbert finally managed to start breaking through Alcaraz's service game.
In a long and intense game, Humbert had four chances to break his opponent's serve at a score of 2-2.
Alcaraz showed great determination to fend off the French player, using excellent skills at the net to prevent him from scoring. He then demonstrated the same level of determination and skill as a three-time grand slam champion by breaking his opponent's serve to win the set.
Humbert made a mistake during the match, hitting a shot wide and giving Alcaraz the advantage. The Wimbledon champion impressed the crowd on Centre Court by displaying his agility and determination. He managed to return the ball twice before sliding across the grass and ultimately causing his opponent to make an error.
Humbert, who was once defeated by Novak Djokovic in a previous Wimbledon match, seemed destined to experience the same outcome. However, the left-handed player fought back this time.
Alcaraz lost his serve at the beginning of the third set, and then lost two more games in a row, with the last one ending in Humbert hitting a beautiful backhand shot down the line.
The idea of playing another match with five sets seemed unlikely after Alcaraz quickly broke in the fourth set.
Nevertheless, things took a tumultuous turn as Humbert made a comeback while Alcaraz took a 3-1 lead. The world number 16 then managed to win three consecutive games and put pressure on his opponent by reaching a 0-40 score in the eighth service game.
Alcaraz served two powerful aces to secure a crucial hold, and then hit a beautiful forehand shot that curled over the net. This was followed by a key break in the match.
Alcaraz reached match point with an outstanding drop shot and followed it up with another ace, this time at a speed of only 103mph, securing his spot in the quarter-finals.
