Defending champion Carlos Alcaraz avoided a surprise elimination at Wimbledon, beating American Francis Tiafoe in a close five-set match.
The Spaniard won a hard-fought match 5-7, 6-2, 4-6, 7-6 (7-2), 6-2 in front of a rapturous Centre Court crowd.
The win keeps Alcaraz, who won the French Open last month, alive with his hopes of winning back-to-back major championships.
“Obviously, playing Francis is always a big challenge,” said Alcaraz, the third seed.
“All I was thinking was, ‘One more pitch.'”
The first match on the main show court on Friday was comparable to the pair’s previous meeting in the semifinals of the 2022 U.S. Open.
Alcaraz was the winner again, beating Tiafoe in a five-set victory to claim his first Grand Slam title.
Alcaraz overcomes crisis with matchup against talented Tiafoe
Tiafoe was seeded 10th at Wimbledon last year but has since dropped in the rankings and lost in the second round at this year’s Australian Open and French Open.
The player, currently ranked 29th in the world, frustrated Alcaraz throughout the match and won early support from the crowd after recovering from a break down to take the first set.
“He’s a really talented player and really difficult to play against,” Alcaraz added. “He deserves to be at the top and he deserves to fight for big goals.”
Alcaraz, who had never dropped a set in the championships, regained control in the second set, but Tiafoe won the third with one break of serve.
The American waved to the crowd, pointed to his ears and urged them to make more noise under the closed Centre Court roof.
The fans gladly obliged, cheering on the 26-year-old until the fourth set went into a tiebreak with both players’ serves remaining solid.
Sensing the crowd was on his opponent’s side, Alcaraz stoked the emotions by yelling “Vamos” after a big winner, cruising along to the winning point.
It was smooth sailing from there for the three-time major champion, as he broke twice before sealing victory with a stunning drop shot and raising his arms in celebration.
He will face either American Brandon Nakashima or 16th seed Ugo Humbert of France in the fourth round.
Rain wreaks havoc on men’s singles schedule
Only three matches have been completed so far, including Alcaraz’s, on Friday as play on the outdoor courts ended early due to weather conditions.
Queen’s champion Tommy Paul beat Alexander Bublik 6-3, 6-4, 6-2 on Court 2 before the rain arrived.
Meanwhile, 10th seed Grigor Dimitrov of Bulgaria beat France’s Gael Monfils 6-3, 6-4, 6-3 on Court 1.
The third-round match between Nakashima and Humbert was stopped just before the fourth set went into a tiebreak, with fifth seed Daniil Medvedev leading 2-1 over Jan-Lennard Struff.
Top seed Jannik Sinner is scheduled to face Serbia’s Miomir Kecmanovic on Centre Court.
