IMAGES from Day 3 of the Wimbledon Championships, at the All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club, London, on Wednesday.
World number one Jannik Sinner survived an all-Italian Centre Court dogfight against Matteo Berrettini to book his place in the third round of Wimbledon on Wednesday.
Sinner edged the opening two sets on tie-breaks under the closed roof but was rocked on his heels by a Berrettini fightback before prevailing 7-6(3), 7-6(4), 2-6, 7-6(4).
Berrettini, who was runner-up to Novak Djokovic in 2021 but plagued by injuries last year and is now ranked down at 59th, looked capable of dragging the match into a decider with some heavy-metal tennis.
Top seed Sinner was wobbling when some scrappy groundstroke errors meant he went a break down early in the fourth set, but he managed to wrestle back control in the nick of time.
Berrettini saved a match-point when serving at 5-6 in the fourth set and belted away a forehand to set up the third tie-break of an absorbing tussle.
The law of averages suggested the big-serving Berrettini would come out on top this time but once again Sinner was as cool as a cucumber when it mattered to get the job done shortly before Wimbledon's 11pm curfew.
"It was very tough to face Matteo in the second round in such an important tournament," Sinner, who embraced his friend and compatriot warmly at the net, said on court.
"Today was a high level match and we both played well and in the three tie-breaks I got a bit lucky. I knew I had to raise my game a level today, he is a grass-court specialist.
"There were some ups and downs which is normal but I'm happy to be in the next round."
The 22-year-old Sinner, who extended his record against fellow Italians to 14-0, will continue his quest to add the Wimbledon title to this year's Australian Open against Serbia's Miomir Kecmanovic on Friday.
Alcaraz overcomes shaky start against unseeded Vukic
IMAGE: Spain's Carlos Alcaraz reacts during his second round match against Australia's Aleksandar Vukic. Photograph: Matthew Childs/Reuters
Defending Wimbledon champion Carlos Alcaraz made a shaky start against unseeded Australian Aleksandar Vukic but moved through the gears to seal a 7-6(5), 6-2, 6-2 victory and power into the third round on Wednesday.
The result extended Alcaraz's winning run at the grasscourt Grand Slam to nine matches but the Spaniard could face a tricky test in his next match against American 29th seed Frances Tiafoe, who beat Borna Coric 7-6(5), 6-1, 6-3.
Third seed Alcaraz broke for a 4-2 lead as Vukic miscued an overhead smash at the net but the Spaniard handed the advantage back to his 69th-ranked opponent three games later and was broken yet again in the opening set to trail 5-6.
He recovered to force a tiebreak, where he took a healthy 5-1 lead, but allowed Vukic to win three straight points only to raise his level again and take the set as Spanish fans breathed a sigh of relief on Court One.
From there, it was a ruthless performance from Alcaraz as the 21-year-old showcased his explosive power and delicate touch as he racked up 40 winners to blow Vukic away.
"I'm really happy about my performance. The first set was the key for me. He served for the set, then I played a really good tiebreak. In the second set and third set, I played at a really high level. I'm really happy about it," Alcaraz said.
Inspired Fognini knocks out eighth seed Ruud
Swaggering Italian Fabio Fognini rolled back the years with a dazzling display to knock out eighth seed Casper Ruud 6-4, 7-5, 6-7(1), 6-3 and reach the third round.
The 37-year-old former top-10 player, these day sporting peroxide blond hair, produced his trademark brand of languid shot-making to largely dominate Ruud on Court Two.
An early break of serve after a short rain delay was enough for him to take the first set.
Fognini was knocked out of his smooth stride when he suffered a heavy fall on the lush turf but dusted himself down to take the second set with a break of serve in the 12th game.
He appeared to be on the brink of victory against a flat-looking Ruud when he led 5-2 30-0 in the third set with a double break but twice failed when serving for the match.
Ruud dominated the tiebreak to extend the match but Fognini continued to call the shots in the fourth set and broke serve for a 5-3 lead. Three match points went begging as Fognini appeared to tighten up but at the fourth time of asking he belted away a forehand winner to seal the win.
Medvedev survives Muller scare
Fifth seed Daniil Medvedev battled his way to a 6-7(3), 7-6(4), 6-4, 7-5 victory over 102-ranked Alexandre Muller to reach the third round.
The Russian looked out of sorts early on Centre Court as he lost the first set on a tiebreak to the 27-year-old Frenchman in their first ever Tour-level meeting and had to save a set point to avoid going down 2-0.
However, Medvedev, runner-up at the Australian Open, found a bit more of his usual groove to level the match with a tiebreak before outlasting a strong Muller to clinch the third set and then the match over three-and-a-half hours.
The 28-year-old reached the semi-finals last year at the All England Club but was made to work hard for the win by Muller who kept pace with the Russian despite needing a medical timeout for a left thigh issue before the fourth set.
