PA Media/dpa
London
Carlos Alcaraz survived a first-set wobble before racing into the Wimbledon third round on Wednesday.
The defending champion from Spain was broken twice by Australian world number 69 Aleksandar Vukic after serving for the opening set.
Vukic, 28, had form for upsetting the Spaniard, having beaten the then 17-year-old in French Open qualifying four years ago.
But there was to be no repeat as Alcaraz managed to break back to force a tie-break, which he dominated, and never looked back.
The 21-year-old went on to register a 7-6 (7-5), 6-2, 6-2 victory, spending just an hour and 48 minutes on Court One.
“I’m really happy about my performance today,” he said. “The first set was the key for me. He served for the set and then I played a really good tie-break.
“In the second and third I played a really high level so I’m really happy about it.” Alcaraz will face American Frances Tiafoe in the third round on Friday.
“I’m going for him,” he added. “We played a really good match in the US Open. I know he is a really talented player, a tough one, even tougher on grass with his style.
“It’s going to be a very difficult match for me. I’m ready to take that challenge, put on a show and hopefully take him.”
Raducanu dominates Mertens
Emma Raducanu brushed aside Elise Mertens to reach the third round of a grand slam for the first time since her US Open triumph.
Back on Court One for the first time since her breakthrough run to the fourth round here three years ago ahead of that historic New York fortnight, Raducanu seized control from the start and raced to a 6-1, 6-2 victory.
In 2021, the occasion was ultimately too much for the then teenager and she retired with breathing difficulties against Ajla Tomljanovic.
Raducanu has lived a veritable lifetime of experiences since then, many of them negative, but has had a smile plastered on her face at the All England Club this year and appears finally at ease with her place in the sport.
If she can maintain the form she showed against Belgian Mertens, ranked one place outside the seedings at 33, she could yet do some serious damage in this tournament.
Many of the games were close but, on the key points, it was Raducanu who came up with the moments of magic, be that a precision lob, a knifed drop shot or the sort of searing groundstrokes with which she made her name.
Playing under the roof on a grey, drizzly day, Raducanu lit up Court One with a run of five games in a row to start the match.
She broke the Mertens serve in the second game with a drop shot that her opponent, the world number one in doubles and a former Australian Open semi-finalist, could only net.
Raducanu then saved a break point to make it 3-0 and broke again with a forehand pass on to the sideline. Mertens finally got on the scoreboard to prevent a love set but Raducanu withstood more pressure to maintain her momentum, clinching it with a big serve.
When 28-year-old Mertens recovered from 0-40 in the opening game of the second set, it could have been a crucial moment, but Raducanu simply raised her level even higher.
A backhand pass drilled beyond Mertens gave her the break for 2-1, and from there she did not look back, bouncing to the net in jubilation after her opponent’s final return drifted long.
Osaka’s return abruptly
halted by Navarro
Naomi Osaka’s first Wimbledon campaign in five years was emphatically halted by a swift second-round defeat to world number 17 Emma Navarro.
Wild card Osaka entered Centre Court buoyed by her first victory at the All England Club since 2018 following a mixture of injury and mental health struggles, plus the birth of daughter Shai.
But the four-time grand slam champion was unable to build on her three-set opening win over Diane Parry as Navarro comfortably progressed 6-4, 6-1 in just 59 minutes.
The victorious 23-year-old will next take on Russian world number 30 Diana Shnaider, who last week beat her en route to claiming the Bad Homburg Open title.
“Naomi’s obviously a great player, it’s great to have her back,” Navarro said on court.
“I was able to play some good tennis at times - my first time on Centre Court. I’ve been having a lot of fun on grass. Today was no exception.”
Japanese world number 113 Osaka feels elements of her game have improved since she twice won the US Open and the Australian Open between 2018 and 2021 as she seeks to hit previous heights following maternity leave.
