LONDON – Reigning Wimbledon champion Carlos Alcaraz came up with the big shots when it mattered most to hold off Ugo Humbert and reach the quarterfinals with a 6-3, 6-4, 1-6, 7-5 victory on Center Court on Sunday .
The match seemed all but over when Alcaraz took the second set by chasing several seemingly out-of-reach shots on set point, even falling after hitting a forehand and quickly getting up to get to the next ball.
Asked to describe his game at that point, Alcaraz only said: “Unbelievable, I think.”
But Humbert almost staged a stunning comeback and threatened to take the match into the fifth set by earning three consecutive break points for a 5-3 lead in the fourth set.
Alcaraz won that game again with the help of some aces, then took a 6-5 lead by hitting a deep forehand.
He scored match point with one of his delicate forehand shots and converted with a service winner.
“I felt really good playing today, I think I played at a very high level,” said Alcaraz, who will face the winner between number 12 seed Tommy Paul and Roberto Bautista Augut.
Previously, French Open runner-up Jasmine Paolini reached her first Wimbledon quarterfinal when Madison Keys had to withdraw with a leg injury at 5-5 in the third set of their fourth round match.
Keys had served for the match at 5-2 in the final set, but began limping more and more and needed a medical timeout to work on his left leg after Paolini made it 5-4. She had her left thigh bandaged while serving for the second time, but was broken again – double faulting on break point – and cried at the end of the game, with her movements clearly restricted.
Keys tried to keep playing, but the American finally went to the net to tell the chair umpire on Court No. 1 that she was retiring after Paolini hit an ace at 15-15 in the final game.
The Italian won the first set 6-3, before Keys won the second 7-6 (6).
Keys was two points away from victory when the score was tied 5-2 in the third.
“I feel sorry for her. Ending the match like this is bad”, said Paolini in an interview on the court. “What can I say? We played a very good match. It was very difficult. A lot of ups and downs. I’m feeling a little happy, but also sad for her. It’s not easy to win like that.”
Paolini is the fifth Italian to reach the Wimbledon quarter-finals in the professional era and will try to be the first to reach the semi-finals. She will face the winner of 2nd seed Coco Gauff and 19th seed Emma Navarro, who played later on center court.
Keys, the 2017 US Open runner-up, was trying to reach the round of 16 for the second consecutive year at the All England Club, and third time overall. ___
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