A wake-up call to Alcaraz at Wimbledon, who once again suffered to make the quarterfinals

The wake-up call Carlos Alcaraz in the round of 16 at Wimbledon had an immediate positive impact for a while. After the cold sweat against the American Frances Tiafoe, the current champion needs another new warning to react in a brilliant and decisive way to reach the quarterfinals, this Tuesday against the Castellón player Roberto Bautista or American Tommy Paul.

The Murcian, 21 years old and world No. 3, again gave his best for many minutes, but in the middle there was another disturbing episode, affecting the successes and failures he intended to eliminate. He has to do this, the tournament is getting serious and the margin for error is getting smaller.

Although it competes with solvency. This is his seventh consecutive presence in the quarterfinals of a Grand Slam, he has not failed in this round since he fell in the second round of Wimbledon 2022. A fact that says a lot in his favor, in any case.

He beat the French southpaw Ugo Humbert, 26 years old and number 16, 6-3, 6-4, 1-6 and 7-5 in 2h.58′ of tennis under the roof of the center court, weathering a brief but intense storm. The rain poured so hard on the deck that for a few moments it did not allow the ball to be heard. The lightning also grew stronger.

At that stage of the meeting he was like lightning Carlos Alcaraz. Majestic first set against an opponent he had never faced before. In the second he saved four break balls in the fifth game with remarkable authority. An ace here, a serve and volley there. In the face of danger, determination and class.

The trouble is sudden. And at this point in the Grand Slam and against an opponent with a unique technique and a natural vocation for aggressive play, as the grass demands, falling is costly. In an instant, Alcaraz received a resounding 1-6.

“You have to stay mentally strong when you are not at your highest level. That is what I need to improve,” said Alcaraz, reproaching himself for the gaps before Tiafoe. Not only do they cast doubt on him, but they charge the enemy’s energy.

He took a stab at Tiafoe, he also encouraged Humbert to keep fighting for more. Alcaraz had to make a new effort to placate the Frenchman, who twice refused to give up, overcoming two break advantages for the Spaniard in the fourth round. An old foe, a new mess to solve for the student of Juan Carlos Ferrero.

Because it is a super class, in the most dangerous moments it has the ability to react and offer a ‘masterclass’ in a few minutes. It happened at 3-4 and 0-40 in the fourth set. After a double fault, he was forced to take fifth. “I do not know what to do!”, he shouted looking at his team. He expelled all the anger, adding four consecutive points of supreme courage and tennis.

A relief. This led him to victory, which he couldn’t fully celebrate until he tied it. Umbert wanted a show until Alcaraz finally refused.

Defending the crown with hopes of becoming the recent champion of Roland Garros This also represents an additional burden to deal with. Alcaraz is now among the eight best in the tournament. An invitation to the highest concentration, the stage where the greatest of all go. The Spaniard was warned, though it was a story well known to him and his surroundings. They do it, also knowing that it applies more easily to the three-time Grand Slam champion as he sees the trophy closer.

And both Tiafoe and Umbert took risks, although they always relied on Alcaraz’s changing life cycles, which provided one of the ‘points’ of the tournament that gave him the second set. Even a slip and fall didn’t stop him from reaching a new ball. Very fast. A physical wonder.

“Playing against a left-handed player on grass is always complicated, because to Queen I did this for the first time and learned quite a bit (lost in Jack Draper). I think my level is high today, I try not to think that I’m playing with a left-hander,” said Alcaraz, who has a favorable balance of 26-8 with left-handers, 76% effective, when there right.-hander it exceeds 80%.