Wimbledon Day 8 recap: Rune and Alcaraz set new age quarterfinal clash

The second week at Wimbledon is well and truly underway as more quarterfinal spots were secured at the All England Club. Carlos Alcaraz and Holger Rune both were victorious in four sets over proven opposition. No. 1 seed Carlos Alcaraz dropped the opening set to former Wimbledon finalist Matteo Berrettini but was able to recover as he came home a 3-6, 6-3, 6-3, 6-3 winner over the big-serving Italian.

Berrettini fired 9 aces with zero double faults while putting in 71 percent of his first serves. It was another tremendous day at the service line for the big man, which makes Alcaraz getting this done as he did all the more impressive.

The super Spaniard will face another rising star in the game, No. 6 Holger Rune. The fiery Dane overcame a vintage performance from No. 21 Grigor Dimitrov. The Bulgarian came into this match in superb form, including dispatching the 10-seed Frances Tiafoe in the previous round.

Recapping all you need to know from Wimbledon Day 8

Dimitrov started strongly again as he took the opening set and was up a break late in the 2nd. The shot-making and creativity from both players were present throughout. The variety of shots and rallies on display was wonderful to watch.

Ultimately, Rune showed tremendous fight and pulled out the win in a tough 4 sets; 3-6, 7-6 (6), 7-6 (4), 6-3. It sets up a very enticing matchup between two future and present stars of the game. Alcaraz, 20, will square off with Rune, also 20, for a final four spot.

A couple of disappointing retirements occurred as defending champion Elena Rybakina was up 4-1 when her opponent No. 13 Beatriz Haddad Maia was forced to call it early. Fellow 3-seed, Daniil Medvedev, won the first two sets of his match before the young Czech, Jiri Lehecka was forced out as well.

No. 6 seed and 2022 finalist Ons Jabeur blitzed No. 9 Petra Kvitova 6-0, 6-3. It was a stunningly comprehensive performance. Jabeur now gets a chance to avenge last year’s Final defeat as she faces Rybakina in the quarterfinals.

No. 2 seed Aryna Sabalenka joined the dominating parade as she made quick work of the 21-seed Ekaterina Alexandrova 6-4 6-0. Sabalenka continues on her quest for her second Grand Slam title after winning Down Under earlier this year.

No. 2 Novak Djokovic finished off a tense four-set victory over the incredible serving No. 17 Hubert Hurkacz: 7-6 (6), 7-6 (6), 5-7, 6-4. Hurkacz had held serve in 66 straight service games at these Championships before Djokovic broke him to set up victory in the 4th set.

It was a good day for the Americans as both were pushed to deciding sets, but fought out the wins. No. 25 Madison Keys ended the run of the 16-year-old Mirra Andreeva 3-6, 7-6 (4), 6-2. As the match was slipping away, Andreeva showed a bit of her age as she had a harder time containing her emotions.

Finally, Christopher Eubanks continues to stun the tennis world. His first appearance at Wimbledon will now feature him in the Quarterfinals as he overcame blustery conditions, his nerves, and the No. 5 seed Stefanos Tsitsipas. The final score line of 3-6, 7-6 (4), 3-6, 6-4, 6-4 was evidence of the topsy-turvy nature of events.

Tsitsipas was actually playing very well and could have had a two-set lead but for a costly double fault in the breaker. Neither man did a lot of breaking serve until the final set. Tsitsipas was broken twice and Eubanks was broken back as the Greek tried to stay alive.

In the end, the big-hitting American got a few lucky breaks on some net cord winners, but he hit two sublime backhand winners down the line for a break and to seal the match. He is playing like he’s been at this stage for 5 years.

Both draws continue to narrow down, but the action remains as intense as ever. The rest of Week 2 should be no different.