Carlos Alcaraz’s impossible shot could be the making of a Wimbledon champion

The Spaniard defeated the former Wimbledon runner-up Matteo Berrettini 3-6 6-3 6-3 6-3 to set up a quarter-final with Holger Rune

To be Carlos Alcaraz is to believe that anything is possible on a tennis court, to believe that every point and every shot is an opportunity to produce something special. On a sensational evening on Centre Court, the 20-year-old Spaniard radiated that confidence in every forehand, return and movement, as he came from behind to defeat the former Wimbledon runner-up Matteo Berrettini in four sets and reach the quarter-finals.

This should not look this easy, but to be Carlos Alcaraz is to believe that you can take on one of the biggest serves in the world and reduce it to a relatively average level. It is to see a volley that lands so wide it almost falls in the front row and not only reach it, but flick it around the posts and down the line. It is to believe that you can rock up at Wimbledon, on only your fourth tournament on grass, and confidently state that you can go and win the whole thing.

Novak Djokovic still remains in the other half of the draw, the favourite to defend his Wimbledon title, but this 3-6 6-3 6-3 6-3 victory only goes to show that Alcaraz has overtaken the rest of the field to stand as a clear second. Berrettini was a Wimbledon finalist two years ago. Last year, he was the second favourite for the title before having to withdraw due to testing positive for Covid. Despite his recent injury struggles, Berrettini arrived at Wimbledon having won 23 of his previous 25 matches on grass. On his return to Wimbledon, the Italian had progressed past tough tests in Lorenzo Sonego, Alex de Minaur and Alexander Zverev, and without losing his serve once.

But against a player who regularly thunders down 130mph serves, Alcaraz finished with the most extraordinary return numbers: the top seed creating 16 break points and allowing Berrettini to win just 67 per cent of his first-serve points. After Berrettini resisted Alcaraz to win the opening set and visibly grew in belief, the Spaniard raised his game and found his stride – racing around the baseline and delivering a magical selection of shots in a stunning spell.

On Centre Court, a stage he is starting to own, Alcaraz produced an emphatic display of his most enthralling qualities: speed, athleticism, power, vision - encapsulated in the moment where Alcaraz produced his stunning backhand winner, squeezing the shot between the net post and the umpire’s chair. Holger Rune, another first-time quarter-finalist, awaits in the next round. It will be the first time in the Open era that two players under the age of 21 have competed in a Wimbledon quarter-final.

Berrettini may have won the first set but this was one-way traffic from the start, with the Italian facing break points immediately on his first service game. He struggled holding serve while Alcaraz raced through his own games. The Spaniard was primed on the returns, stood 3ft behind the baseline, feet split. As Berrettini tossed, there was one hop, two hop. Hope for the best? Hardly. Alcaraz snapped back the returns, managing to get almost every ball back in play when he got his racket to it.

It put pressure on Berrettini, with the 27-year-old making too many errors from the baseline. Alcaraz, though, spurned his chances as Berrettini was able to serve his way out of trouble, saving with a delicate drop shot as the Italian used Alcaraz’s own weapon against him. It gave Berrettini confidence and he started to work Alcaraz around the court, flicking a lob over the Spaniard’s head after catching a net-cord before putting away the smash. It resulted in the only break of the opening set as Alcaraz pulled a backhand narrowly wide. Still, Berrettini was required to find his biggest serving of the set in the final game to get him out of another tough spot.

Berrettini and Alcaraz after the match (Getty Images)

Alcaraz applauds the Centre Court spectators (Getty Images)

Berrettini pushed for an opening break in the second set and Alcaraz had to save with a forehand winner, a crucial moment given the high level Berrettini’s serving was starting to reach. But Alcaraz also increased his level, and started to delve into his box of tricks. After an angled volley from Berrettini, Alcaraz sprinted to his left, somehow contorted his body to reach the ball and flicked a stunning backhand pass around the net post and up the line, almost landing himself in the front row. If it was a message to Berrettini, it certainly had an effect. In the next game the Italian made a series of poor errors as Alcaraz broke to love. It was the first time Berrettini’s serve had been broken all tournament.

Crowd control: Alcaraz runs off the court after a shot (Getty Images)

Alcaraz’s returning remained sharp into the third while offering his opponent no chances on his own. In the most one-sided spell of the match, Berrettini had to produce extraordinary forehand winners just to hold serve. Alcaraz could even afford to make errors on break-point opportunities, such was the regularity with which he was setting them up. The second break of the match came as Alcaraz leapt to put away an overhead smash, with Alcaraz falling backwards to finish on the opposite side of the court – roaring in celebration. Alcaraz closed out the third behind a cannoned forehand strike, whacked past Berrettini at over 100mph.

Berrettini needed to hold on and pray for the dark to fall, gesturing to the umpire at the start of the fourth. By 8.20pm, he had managed to do enough, remaining level in the match as the roof was closed and the lights flickered on. The conditions ought to have helped Berrettini, adding extra venom to his usually dominant weapon, but the forehand errors continued and led to break point at 3-4 in the fourth. Berrettini looped a forehand and Alcaraz punished it down the line for the clean winner.

It was only on the first three match points that Alcaraz faltered, first putting a volley long of the baseline before a double fault. Those nerves were only brief. Alcaraz returned to his confident game, powering the backhand crosscourt to Berrettini and then attacking again with the forehand up the line. As he lifted his arms in triumph, he will believe that anything here is possible now.

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Jabeur sets up Rybakina rematch as Eubanks stuns Tsitsipas

Ons Jabeur thrashed two-time champion Petra Kvitova to set up a rematch of last year’s final against defending champion Elena Rybakina in the quarter-finals. Jabeur won the opening set in just 22 minutes on her way to a comprehensive 6-0 6-3 victory that saw the Tunisian return to last year’s form. She will now have the chance for revenge against Rybakina, who continued her title defence with a walkover as Beatriz Haddad Maia retired just five games into their match on Centre Court with a back injury.

Ons Jabeur will get the chance for revenge against Elena Rybakina (PA Wire)

Mirra Andreeva’s run is over after defeat to Madison Keys in the fourth round, with the 16-year-old Russian qualifier refusing to shake hands with the umpire after a controversial end to the contest. Andreeva was given a point penalty at a crucial stage of the match for throwing her racket into the ground for the second time. Andreeva had slipped behind the baseline, appearing to go over her ankle, before dropping her racket. It gave Keys match point and the American wrapped up a 3-6 7-6 6-2 win to set up a meeting with the second seed Aryna Sabalenka.

Novak Djokovic belatedly continued his Wimbledon defence after defeating Hubert Hurkacz in four sets upon the resumption of their fourth-round clash. The contest was suspended due to the 11pm curfew on Sunday night after Djokovic took a two-set lead under the roof, although Hurkacz returned to force a fourth in different conditions on Centre Court. But Djokovic broke the big-serving Hurkacz for the first time in the match during the fourth before serving out a 7-6 7-6 5-7 6-4 win in over three hours of total play, setting up a quarter-final with Andrey Rublev.

In the shock of the day, unseeded Christopher Eubanks stunned Stefanos Tsitsipas in five sets to reach his first grand slam quarter-final. The American, who is making his Wimbledon debut, closed out a thrilling win in front of a raucous Court Two crowd to claim the biggest win of his career against the fifth seed. Eubanks, who said he was “living the dream” after extending his winning run on grass to nine matches, faces Daniil Medvedev in the quarter-finals. The Russian progressed after Jiri Lehecka retired when down two sets. Meanwhile, sixth seed Holger Rune downed Grigor Dimitrov, fighting from a set down to win in four on No 1 Court and set up his meeting with Alcaraz.