Carlos Alcaraz once again had to sweat on Centre Court before securing a place in the quarter-finals with a 6-3 6-4 1-6 7-5 victory over number 16 seed Ugo Humbert.
After coming back from two sets down to beat Frances Tiafoe in the previous round, Alcaraz looked to have an easier time of it, winning the first two sets before Humbert produced some sublime tennis.
The Frenchman would also have been disappointed to lose the second set, as he wasted four break points on Alcaraz’s serve in the fifth game. And then, having conceded only four points all set on his own serve, Humbert was broken out of nowhere to lose the set 6-4.
He was not discouraged, however, as he managed to break Alcaraz’s serve four consecutive times during a dominant third set and at the start of the fourth.
The defending champion seemed to have no answer to Humbert’s impeccable return game, with the 16th seed regularly hitting powerful winners and occasionally mixing in heavy balls behind the baseline to keep the flat-footed Spaniard happy.
That said, Alcaraz himself broke Humbert twice to start the fourth set, but things came back to serve late in the sixth game as the determined Humbert continued to dig his heels into the Centre Court grass.
More thunderous groundstrokes from the left-hander helped set up three break points in the eighth game of the fourth set but, as in the second, a wasteful Humbert ultimately regretted spurning each of them as three games later it was Alcaraz who earned the crucial break before serving.
Humbert is therefore still looking for a first appearance in the quarter-finals of a Grand Slam, while Alcaraz, a three-time Grand Slam winner, will face either 12th seed Tommy Paul or his compatriot Roberto Bautista Agut in the quarter-finals.
What’s new on Sky Sports Tennis?
Please use Chrome browser for a more accessible video player
Find out all the ways to watch tennis on Sky Sports, including the US Open, ATP and WTA Tours
As the final Grand Slam of 2024 approaches – the US Open – you can see all of tennis’ biggest stars in action live on Sky Sports as they compete throughout the season on hard courts.
- Hamburg Open (ATP 500) July 15-21
- Newport Hall of Fame Open (ATP 250) July 15-21
- Swiss Open (ATP 250) July 15-21
- Bastad Open (ATP 250) from July 15 to 21
- Palermo Open (WTA 250) from July 15 to 21
- Hungarian Grand Prix (WTA 250) July 15-21
- Prague Open (WTA 250) July 21-26
Watch the WTA and ATP Tours throughout 2024 on Sky Sports Tennis. Watch Sky Sports Tennis and more with a NOW Sports monthly subscription. No contracts, cancel anytime.
