Jannik Sinner won against Carlos Alcaraz in a duel between two of the great promises of tennis and reached the Wimbledon quarterfinals for the first time, although he needed six match points to claim victory on Sunday.
The 20-year-old Italian was unable to capitalize on two match points in the third-set tiebreak, but recovered to win 6-1, 6-4, 6-7(8), 6-3 on Center Court against Alcaraz, a Spaniard. 19 years old. In terms of combined age, it was the earliest singles matchup in the round of 16 or beyond at Wimbledon since 17-year-old Boris Becker defeated Henri Leconte in the quarterfinals in 1985.
Sinner, seeded tenth, also had three match balls with the score at 5-2 in the fourth set. But Alcaraz (seeded 5th) conjured all three before holding serve. Sinner had to save a break point in the next game and then capitalized on his sixth match point with a forehand.
“This is something I didn’t expect because I haven’t been playing very well on grass,” Sinner said of her first Wimbledon quarterfinal.
Sinner will face the winner of the duel between the reigning three-time champion Novak Djokovic and the Dutchman Tim van Rijthoven.
Two Americans were eliminated. Belgian David Goffin came from behind to beat 23rd-seeded Frances Tiafoe 7-6 (3), 5-7, 5-7, 6-4, 7-5 and will face Britain’s Cameron Norrie (9th), who dispatched 6-4, 7-5, 6-4 to Tommy Paul.
Norrie is the first British quarter-finalist since Andy Murray in 2017. This is the first time he has made it past the third round of a Grand Slam.
