CLOSE CALL: Alcaraz survives five-set Wimby thriller as Sinner, Gauff cruise

LONDON (AFP) — Defending champion Carlos Alcaraz defeated close friend Frances Tiafoe in a rollercoaster five sets to reach the Wimbledon Last 16 on Friday as Jannik Sinner and Coco Gauff breezed through.

Alcaraz won 5-7, 6-2, 4-6, 7-6 (7/2), 6-2 on the back of 16 aces in his 55 winners in a Centre Court thriller that stretched to the best part of four hours.

“Always a big challenge playing against Frances,” admitted Alcaraz, who was also pushed to five sets by the American in the semifinals of the 2022 US Open on his way to a first Grand Slam title.

“He is a really talented player, really tough to face.”

Alcaraz, who is bidding to become only the sixth man to capture the French Open and Wimbledon titles back-to-back, has now reached the Last 16 of a Slam for the 10th time.

Alcaraz and Tiafoe exchanged a warm embrace at the net.

“Just ultimate respect. Him just saying, ‘It’s good to see you play like that.’ Me just saying, ‘I can’t stand you,’” the American joked.

World No. 3 Alcaraz will next take on either Ugo Humbert of France or Brandon Nakashima of the United States.

That match was one of four men’s third-round clashes that could not be completed due to heavy rain in London.

World No. 1 Sinner needed just 96 minutes to defeat Miomir Kecmanovic of Serbia 6-1, 6-4, 6-2.

Australian Open champion Sinner, a beaten semifinalist at Wimbledon in 2023, will next face either Canada’s Denis Shapovalov or Ben Shelton of the United States.

The win was Sinner’s 41st this season, taking him past the 40 of Casper Ruud.

Women’s world No. 2 Gauff ended the run of British qualifier Sonay Kartal, who had defied her humble ranking of 298 to reach the third round of a Slam for the first time.

Gauff won 6-4, 6-0, allowing her opponent just eight points in the second set.

Despite the loss, Kartal, who had arrived at the All England Club with just over $18,500 from her 2024 efforts on court, will go away with a windfall of more than $182,000.

Gauff will face compatriot Emma Navarro for a place in the quarterfinals.

Tommy Paul, the US men’s 12th seed, made the fourth round for the second time with a 6-3, 6-4, 6-2 win over Alexander Bublik of Kazakhstan.

Grigor Dimitrov, who was a semifinalist 10 years ago, defeated 37-year-old Gael Monfils in straight sets.

Two-time quarterfinalist Madison Keys, the 12th seed, reached the second week for the fifth time with a straight-sets win over Marta Kostyuk.

Keys moves on to face French Open runner-up Jasmine Paolini, who had never won a match at Wimbledon before this year.

Seventh-ranked Paolini saw off former US Open champion Bianca Andreescu in straight sets.

Lulu Sun became the first woman from New Zealand since 1959 to reach the Last 16 with a straight-sets victory over China’s Zhu Lin, 7-6 (7/4), 7-6 (8/6).

She will next face Emma Raducanu, who defeated ninth-ranked Maria Sakkari of Greece 6-2, 6-3 for only her second win over a top-10 player.

Donna Vekic needed nine match points to beat Dayana Yastremska of Ukraine 7-6 (7/4), 6-7 (3/7), 6-1 in a shade under three hours.

That match started on Court 18 but was completed under the roof of Court 1, a switch that delighted the 28-year-old Vekic, who next faces Spain’s Paula Badosa.