Champion Alcaraz beats Tiafoe in five-set thriller

Defending champion Carlos Alcaraz avoided a astonishment exit astatine Wimbledon by holding disconnected American Frances Tiafoe successful a five-set thriller.

The Spaniard won an aggravated lucifer 5-7 6-2 4-6 7-6 (7-2) 6-2 successful beforehand of a raucous Centre Court crowd.

It keeps Alcaraz's hopes of winning back-to-back awesome titles live aft triumphing astatine nan French Open past month.

"Obviously it is ever a large situation playing against Frances," said 3rd seed Alcaraz.

"All I was reasoning is 'fight 1 much ball'."

Friday's first lucifer connected nan main show tribunal lived up to nan pair's erstwhile gathering successful nan semi-finals of nan 2022 US Open.

Alcaraz was nan victor connected that juncture arsenic well, beating Tiafoe successful a five-set epic connected nan measurement to winning his first Grand Slam title.

Tiafoe was seeded 10th astatine Wimbledon past year, but he has since dropped down nan rankings and suffered second-round exits astatine this year's Australian Open and French Open.

Now 29th successful nan world rankings, he disappointment Alcaraz passim and received nan early backing of nan crowd aft coming backmost from a break down to return nan opening set.

"He is simply a really talented player, really reliable to face," Alcaraz added. "He deserves to beryllium astatine nan top, he deserves to conflict for large things."

Alcaraz, who had not dropped a group astatine nan Championships until then, regained power successful nan second, but a azygous break of service was capable for Tiafoe to triumph nan third.

The American waved to nan crowd and pointed to his ears, calling for much sound nether nan closed Centre Court roof.

The fans willingly obliged, cheering connected nan 26-year-old done nan 4th group until it reached a tie-break aft some players' service held firm.

Sensing nan crowd were connected his opponent's side, Alcaraz whipped up emotion pinch cries of "vamos" aft striking immense winners and he cruised his measurement done to unit a decider.

From location it was plain sailing for nan three-time awesome winner, who collapsed doubly earlier raising his arms successful ceremony aft sealing nan triumph pinch a delightful driblet shot.

He will play American Brandon Nakashima aliases French 16th seed Ugo Humbert successful nan 4th round.

Only 3 matches, including Alcaraz's, person truthful acold been completed connected Friday, pinch play connected nan extracurricular courts ending early because of nan weather.

Queen's champion Tommy Paul wrapped up a 6-3 6-4 6-2 triumph complete Alexander Bublik connected tribunal 2 earlier nan rainfall arrived.

Meanwhile, Bulgarian 10th seed Grigor Dimitrov moved past Frenchman Gael Monfils 6-3 6-4 6-3 nether nan Court One roof.

Nakashima and Humbert's third-round necktie was suspended conscionable earlier nan 4th group headed to a tie-break, while 5th seed Daniil Medvedev leads Jan-Lennard Struff by 2 sets to one.

Top seed Jannik Sinner is scheduled to play Serbia's Miomir Kecmanovic nether nan Centre Court roof.