London: Carlos Alcaraz produced a dominant performance on Wednesday to book his place in the third round at Wimbledon, defeating British qualifier Oliver Tarvet 6-1, 6-4, 6-4 on Centre Court. After being pushed to five sets in his opening-round battle against Fabio Fognini, the Spaniard looked far more comfortable in his second match, showcasing his trademark power, variety, and confidence.
In their first head-to-head meeting, Alcaraz overwhelmed the World No. 733, breaking Tarvet’s serve six times and hitting 37 winners across two hours and 17 minutes. The 21-year-old’s victory extended his career-best winning streak to 20 matches and marked his 31st victory on grass, further cementing his status as a dominant force on the surface, as per ATP.
Following his first-round win over Fognini, Alcaraz became the fastest player in the Open Era to reach 30 grass-court wins. He has now won his last 16 matches at Wimbledon and continues his quest to defend the title he claimed in both 2023 and 2024.
Five-time Grand Slam winner Alcaraz, seeded second, is chasing history as he aims to become only the second man—after Bjorn Borg—to win the Roland Garros-Wimbledon double in consecutive years. He is also looking to become just the fifth man to claim three Wimbledon titles in a row.
Despite the loss, 21-year-old Tarvet showed flashes of brilliance in what was his Grand Slam debut. The University of San Diego student, who came through qualifying, earned a first-round win over Leandro Riedi and managed to thrill the home crowd with a series of impressive passing shots in the second set. Ultimately, however, he could not match Alcaraz’s consistent intensity.
Alcaraz, the two-time defending champion in 2023 and 2024, now advances to face either Felix Auger-Aliassime or Jan-Lennard Struff in the third round. Having entered as a two-time defending champion, Alcaraz remains a strong favourite at Wimbledon.
(IANS)
