by Carlos Alcaraz started this match with a double mistake. At that time, a champagne cork appeared high on the stands of the Center Court through an unfortunate piece of timing. As an omen it was foresight. Perhaps he had the better from Jan-Lennard Struff, the veteran German number three. But the problem is that he did not have the better of himself for times of this encounter.
“It was stressful,” he said after his victory. “It was difficult.”
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This was just as extremely a collision of styles as you can get in Wimbledon. Struff was all the shade that was reduced from his 6 -foot -4 -inch frame with a frame of 140 km / h. In addition to this considerable weapon, his game is almost exclusively one -dimensional. Alcaraz, on the other hand, sees the court in 3D, his feeling of space and his timing, so that he can provide shots that get a lot on his feet.
So it should be uncomplicated: beauty against the animal of a surcharge. And so it started.
Struff’s best hope seemed to be that he flashed his opponent with an ace. Because as soon as a rally started, there seemed to be only one winner when Alcaraz found the rooms extended beyond the range of stuffs. And the Spaniard had won the first set within half an hour.
Alcaraz dropped only one game in the opening sentence against Jan -ennard Struff – Getty Images /Dan Istitene,
The crowd loved everything he did and exuded the joy when he caught a stubborn return with Stuff on his thug’s head and skilfully turned him on the ball boys. And they went to Whoops of Delight when he produced a diving winner to complete the set.
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The poor struff, whose game has long been based on hammer and thwack, seemed to have intimidated a player who refused to have intimidated himself by rearing services at the speed of a Mercedes that raced across the highway.
When Alcaraz broke the German in the third game of the second set, everything seemed to be floating for those at the Center to watch Emma Raducanu in daylight. Then Struff did something completely unexpected: he broke Alcaraz ‘serve. Those who thought it was aberring that Alcaraz would quickly restore his lead were relieved by breaking him again to go 5-3. And he properly took the second set when Alcaraz returned his wild forehand twice. This was suddenly the Spaniard’s problem: he stumbled up again and again.
“I knew it would be difficult. His game fits the grass, a big serve,” said Alcaraz afterwards. “To be honest, I also suffered from each of my service games, they break out points. Every time he tried to push me. And he did it. I just tried to survive, I think.”
The champion seemed to have a word with itself during the break between the sentences and warned of the self -inflicted pain. He began to reduce and took the third set with some delicious surfaces that had the crowd with joy. Although his brilliance in all the coast of his excellent winners enjoyed more than the man himself and his fist pumped on his bench when a bold praise ended up, she landed in.
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For Struff, this was perhaps a last chance to reach Wimbledon’s fourth round for the first time. It may have been in 125th place, only the 123 seats under his opponent, but he would not get without a fight. And some rocket -sized services. Not to forget some classic shots: a volley winner in the fourth set was exquisite.
Struff broke Alcaraz twice during the second set to level the match – Getty Images /Peter van den Berg
But in the end Alcaraz was lucky that Struff corresponded to him for every mistake he had made. Not least if he put his shot on the net with the chance to break with a simple volley. It was an important Miss whose importance seemed to be etched over the face of the highly towering German.
“I still don’t know how he missed this volleye,” said Alcaraz. “I still can’t believe that I am here [as the winner]. I try to fight every ball, see if he would miss it. I was lucky. I made the best of it. In the end I got the break and it was ready. I am only proud to win the victory in four sets. “
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It was a victory that extended his winning streak to 21 games this year. This is not a man who is interested in being beaten. From here, however, he knows exactly that if he wants to extend this run, if he is supposed to defend his title, he will be less and less able to rely on the fact that his opponent makes more mistakes than him.
