Carlos Alcaraz had a tough test on Monday when he faced Matteo Berrettini in the Wimbledon fourth round. Despite Berrettini\’s strong performance on grass, Alcaraz managed to find his rhythm and eventually defeated the 2021 finalist with a score of 3-6, 6-3, 6-3, 6-3.
Alcaraz acknowledged the challenge he faced, praising Berrettini as a great player who had reached the final at Wimbledon before. Losing the first set wasn\’t easy, but Alcaraz stayed focused and capitalized on his chances. He expressed his satisfaction with his ability to remain mentally strong and not lose his composure during the match.
The turning point came when the players reached 2-2 in the fourth set, and the tournament officials decided to close the roof due to impending darkness. The change in conditions and the delay between points didn\’t give Berrettini enough time to shift the momentum in his favor.
In the quarter-finals, Alcaraz will face Holger Rune, the sixth seed. Alcaraz expressed his excitement about two young players reaching their dreams and playing against each other at such a stage. He mentioned that he and Rune had played together in several tournaments since they were 12 years old, and he looks forward to enjoying the experience of playing a quarter-final at a Grand Slam against his long-time acquaintance.
Berrettini entered the match without having lost his serve throughout the tournament. Initially, it seemed that the top seed could be in danger when Berrettini won the opening set. However, Alcaraz gained confidence as the match progressed and managed to break Berrettini\’s serve four times out of 16 attempts.
Alcaraz\’s grass-court season started with limited experience, having played only six tour-level matches on the surface. However, he won all nine matches he has played on grass this year, including the Queen\’s Club championship. He is now just three wins away from the Wimbledon title and expressed his hunger for more success. Alcaraz\’s ultimate dream is to play in a Wimbledon final and win the title, and he hopes to make that dream a reality this year. Currently, he is delighted to have reached the quarter-finals.
Despite his loss, Berrettini has an impressive record on grass, with 36 wins and 8 losses in tour-level matches on this surface throughout his career. However, he was unable to regain control in the match against Alcaraz. Alcaraz\’s solid performance included 35 winners and only 23 unforced errors, while he also limited Berrettini\’s success on first-serve points to just 67 percent.