Carlos Alcaraz reaches Wimbledon quarter-final despite issues with serve

Reigning Wimbledon champion Carlos Alcaraz was broken five times by Ugo Humbert but regrouped to book a place in the quarter-finals.

Alcaraz had spent nearly four hours on court during a dramatic victory over Frances Tiafoe on Friday and looked in a hurry to progress when he raced into a two-set lead.

Humbert responded with aplomb to break Alcaraz three times to force a fourth set where two more breaks put him 4-3 up.

But the world number three moved through the gears to claim a 6-3 6-4 1-6 7-5 triumph on day seven of the Championships.

The Spaniard had produced slow starts in his previous three matches, winning first-set tie-breaks against qualifier Mark Lajal and unseeded Aleksandar Vukic before he lost the opener to Tiafoe, but it was a different story this time.

With the Centre Court roof closed in anticipation for wet weather, Alcaraz broke his opponent in the fifth game.

A first set point came and went on Humbert’s serve but a lovely forehand pass by Alcaraz forced a second, which was taken.

The title defence rolls on