Spain’s Carlos Alcaraz walks to check on Italy’s Matteo Berrettini after falling during their men’s singles tennis match on day eight of the 2023 Wimbledon Championships at the All England Tennis Club in Wimbledon, southwest London, July 10, 2023. (Photo by Glyn KIRK / AFP)
Carlos Alcaraz defeated the dangerous Matteo Berrettini in four sets to reach the Wimbledon quarterfinals for the first time on Monday, but said he was “hungry for more.”
Berrettini, the 2021 finalist, won the first set, but the top seed came from behind to win the Center Court match 3-6, 6-3, 6-3, 6-3.
The top-ranked Alcaraz is seen as one of the few genuine threats to defending champion Novak Djokovic, who hasn’t lost a match on Center Court in 10 years.
But the Italian, who is ranked 38th in the world, gave him a wake-up call in the main stadium, losing the first set after being broken in the eighth game.
The 20-year-old Spaniard forged a break of his own in the fourth game of the second set, bringing him back to even.
A double break in the third set put him in control and he broke again in the eighth game of the fourth set.
He sealed the win when Berrettini, forced to miss last year’s Wimbledon after testing positive for Covid, went wide with a backhand.
Alcaraz has little experience on grass in her young career, but won last month’s tournament at Queen’s to prepare for the Wimbledon title.
“I was really looking forward to playing the quarterfinal here, coming this year with that goal,” said the US Open champion, who reached the fourth round at the All England Club last year.
“It’s my dream to play a final here, to win this title one day, so I hope to achieve that dream this year, but right now it’s great to be in the quarterfinals.”
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