Carlos Alcaraz has kept his hopes of winning a second straight Wimbledon title alive by surviving a roller-coaster five-set battle against an inspired Frances Tiafoe on Friday.
The third seed was at one point just two games away from defeat before fighting his way to a 5-7, 6-2, 4-6, 7-6(2), 6-1, victory. Inflicting another heartbreak on Tiafoe who previously lost a five-set battle against Alcaraz in the semifinals of the US Open two years ago.
“It is always a big challenge playing against Frances. He is a really talented player and really tough to face,” said Alcaraz.
“He deserves to be at the top and he deserves to be fighting for big things.
“It was really difficult for me to adapt my game and to find solutions but I’m happy to get the win.”
Heading into Wimbledon Tiafoe had far from ideal preparation after suffering an MCL sprain, which is a sprain that can be caused by direct trauma to the knee. Despite this, the American was a stern competitor against reigning champion Alcaraz with the first set alone lasting 55 minutes. The Spaniard first broke in the seventh game before immediately losing his advantage. Then at 4-4, he fended off a trio of break points to hold.
However, Tiafoe kept coming after returning a 128 mph Alcaraz serve deep to the baseline to break again for a 6-5 lead before sealing the 7-5 lead. In the final game, one of his serves was registered at a blistering speed of 135 mph.
Alcaraz regained momentum in the second frame by increasing his intensity to put the match back on even turns. During the closing stages of this set, there was a warm embrace between the two players after Tiafoe slipped over on the grass during a rally. Prompting Alcaraz to walk over to the other side of the court and help him up. That moment happened two points before the third seed hit a blistering passing shot to clinch the second set.
Tiafoe hit back in the third and looked to be the one who had more momentum in the fourth before an Alcaraz attack in the tiebreaker devastated him. The world No.3 won five consecutive points en route to taking proceedings into a decider that he dominated. It was during the tiebreaker when Tiafoe aggravated his knee by slipping over which resulted in a noticeable dip in his form.
“A lot of difficult moments during the fourth (set). All I was thinking was to fight one more ball and think about the next point. In the tiebresk I told myself I had to go for it.” Alcaraz reflected.
Alcaraz is the seventh Spanish man in the Open Era to reach the fourth round of Wimbledon on three or more occasions.
