Wimbledon 2024: Defending champion Carlos Alcaraz survives Frances Tiafoe scare to reach fourth round

Defending champion Carlos Alcaraz survived a huge scare on Friday (July 5) after he overcame Frances Tiafoe in the third round of the Wimbledon Championships at the Centre Court. Playing in the third round of the men’s singles, Alcaraz beat Tiafoe 5-7, 6-2, 4-6, 7-6, 6-2 while overcoming a stern challenge.Having been on the cusp of exit in the fourth round Alcaraz made sure he got over the line andproduced fine tennis in the fourth and fifth sets.

Alcaraz survives scare

In a contest that lasted for more than three hours, the 21-year-old survived the scare where he dropped the opening 5-7 during a decisive serve. He bounced back in the second set against American to win it6-2 with a fine serve while consolidating on the break points. However, the Spaniard was again on the backfoot as Tiafoe was at his best with his first serve. He tookthe third set 6-4 which saw him on the brink of causing a big upset.

In a tight fourth set, Alcaraz and Tiafoe foughteach other intensely before taking the match into a tiebreaker. In a one-sided tiebreaker, Alcaraz raced away with a 5-0 lead before dropping his first points when Tiafoe was seen on his knee. With no immediate comeback in the tiebreak, Alcaraz sealed his comeback and took the match into the fifth set.

The fifth set was much of a one-sided affair with Alcaraz takingit6-2 to win the match and advance into the fourth round of the Wimbledon Championships.

Alcaraz could next face another American Brandon Nakashima if he gets the better of 16th seed Ugo Humbert of France.

Had the 21-year-old Spaniard lost in the third round of the Wimbledon championships, he would have joined Markéta Vondroušová. Vondroušová exited in the first round and became the first woman since Steffi Graf in 1994 to record the unwanted feat of a defending champion losing in the first round.