Carlos Alcaraz continues to threaten Djokovic with statement Wimbledon win vs Oscar Otte | Tennis | Sport
Carlos Alcaraz has booked his spot in the second week of Wimbledon with a statement 6-3 6-1 6-2 win over Oscar Otte in just an hour and 38 minutes. The Spaniard is playing at the All England Club for just the second time and had already achieved a career-best showing by reaching the third round but made it one further with Friday evening’s victory. He is the highest seed left in defending champion Novak Djokovic’s half of the draw and continues to look like a threat to the top seed’s chances.
Fifth seed Alcaraz faced a tough test in the world No 36, who played a memorable five-set match against Andy Murray on Centre Court last year. But the Spanish teenager started as he meant to go on, breaking to love in the first game.
It was then the 19-year-old’s turn to fend off a break point to go 4-2 up and he responded by creating three more break point chances of his own in the next game, as Otte forced errors from the fifth seed to keep his deficit to just one break. But Alcaraz broke again to love with the German serving at 3-5 to take the opening set.
And the five-time title winner carried his momentum straight into set two, coming through two lengthy games to break Otte twice and find himself leading 5-0 as he looked firmly in control in his first-ever Wimbledon third-round match. The 28-year-old managed to hold and get himself on the board but it was too little, too late in the second set and Alcaraz served it out for a 6-3 6-1 lead.
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For the third consecutive set, Otte was broken in his opening service game to put the fifth seed within touching distance of the second week as he went 2-0 up. But the world No 36 refused to give up, fending off two break points to stay hot on the Spaniard’s heels, saving the second with a 112mph ace.
Serving at 40-0 up, Alcaraz makes two rare mistakes in this third-round match as Otte lands two big returns on the teen’s second serve and forces the world No7 to make back-to-back errors. This time it’s a double fault for Alcaraz, who suddenly finds himself at deuce after cruising for the better part of an hour.
He looks set for another double fault as he hits a let on his second serve but Alcaraz lands his serve in and fires a forehand winner after a seven-shot rally to get back to game point, letting out a loud “vamos” as he holds to extend his lead to 3-1 after a tough service game.
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After all of his efforts in the previous game, Otte immediately finds himself facing another break point but saves it with an ace and holds for 2-3. Alcaraz holds before setting up three break points on his opponent’s serve at 4-2 to give himself the chance to serve for the match.
Otte managed to save two but a backhand winner gave Alcaraz the game as the pair sat down with the 19-year-old leading 6-3 6-1 5-2. Despite a slight wobble serving for the match when he hit a double fault for 30-30, the Spaniard closed out a three-set win to meet Jannik Sinner in the round-of-16.
As the highest seed left in Djokovic’s section of the draw, the Spaniard remains on course for a quarter-final clash with the six-time champion and could be the man to trouble the top seed after producing a dominant display. Alcaraz won their only previous meeting in Madrid earlier this year.
