Alcaraz stretched, Sinner sublime, Raducanu roars on at Wimbledon

LONDON : Defending champion Carlos Alcaraz was stretched to the limit en route to the Wimbledon fourth round but world number one Jannik Sinner, his likely semi-final opponent, was unruffled as he advanced in ominous fashion at rainy Wimbledon on Friday.

Play ended in late afternoon on most of the All England Club's courts as the heavens opened over southwest London.

But the significant action, including wins for women's second seed Coco Gauff and British favourite Emma Raducanu, went ahead under the Centre Court and Court One roofs.

The 21-year-old Alcaraz, bidding for his fourth Grand Slam title, ran into inspired American Frances Tiafoe in a repeat of their thrilling semi-final the 2022 U.S. Open.

Just as in New York, the two players traded blows in a match sprinkled with spectacular exchanges but once again it was Alcaraz who boasted the greater firepower - racking up 55 winners to Tiafoe's 39 in a 5-7 6-2 4-6 7-6(2) 6-2 win.

Put under extreme pressure by the all-action American, Alcaraz was in trouble towards the end of the fourth set but found another gear to dominate the tiebreak and then romp away to victory in the deciding set.

He has now reached at least the fourth round in 10 of his first 14 Grand Slam appearances while his record in five-setters now stands at a formidable 12-1.

"I'm playing with the statistics that I have just lost one match in the fifth set. That's an advantage for me. That's why in those situations I play at my high level," he said.

Alcaraz's day got even better as he finished in time to watch Spain beat Germany at Euro 2024, although he insisted he had not asked the schedulers for an early time slot.

Sinner no longer has an interest in the soccer after Italy's limp exit. Instead, the top seed is