Daijiworld Media Network

London, Jul 8: Defending Wimbledon champion Carlos Alcaraz and women’s world number one Aryna Sabalenka headline an exciting first day of quarter-final action at the All England Club on Tuesday.

Alcaraz, the charismatic Spaniard chasing his third consecutive Wimbledon title, has shown moments of vulnerability but turned up the heat when it mattered most. After dropping four sets en route to the last eight, he produced his best performance yet in a fourth-round comeback win over Russian 14th seed Andrey Rublev.

The 21-year-old now faces Britain’s Cameron Norrie, who is set to enjoy massive home crowd support. Norrie, a semi-finalist in 2022, trails 2-4 in head-to-head meetings against Alcaraz.
“He’s going to use the crowd to his side,” said Alcaraz. “I have to be really strong mentally and focused to play good tennis if I want to beat him.”

If Alcaraz advances, he will inch closer to joining tennis legends Bjorn Borg, Pete Sampras, Roger Federer, and Novak Djokovic in winning Wimbledon three times in a row during the Open era.

Meanwhile, Aryna Sabalenka remains the dominant force on the women’s side. The Belarusian top seed is aiming for her first Wimbledon title and fourth Grand Slam overall. She’s yet to drop a set in the tournament and faces 37-year-old German qualifier Laura Siegemund, ranked 104th in the world.

Sabalenka, a finalist in both Melbourne and Paris this year, said, “We all dream the same — holding the trophy. It’s always been my dream.”

Siegemund, realistic about her chances, said, “She’s one of the greatest players we have... I have absolutely nothing to lose.”

In other men’s action, American fifth seed Taylor Fritz takes on Russia’s Karen Khachanov. Fritz, who arrived at Wimbledon with grass court titles from Stuttgart and Eastbourne, survived early five-setters but breezed through the fourth round after his opponent retired. Khachanov, ranked 20th, holds a 2-0 record over Fritz but the American believes he’s a “much better player” now.

Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova continues her remarkable run in her 65th Grand Slam appearance, facing 13th seed Amanda Anisimova. The Russian overcame line-calling drama in her last match but has never beaten the American in three previous attempts.

As the battle for semi-final spots heats up, Centre Court promises another thrilling day of top-tier tennis.