Carlos Alcaraz booked his place in the fourth round at Wimbledon on Friday after a testing four-set win over Jan-Lennard Struff, while top seed Aryna Sabalenka overcame home favourite Emma Raducanu in a high-quality encounter under the Centre Court roof.

Meanwhile, sixth seed Madison Keys crashed out, joining a growing list of early casualties as the 2024 Championships continue to spring surprises.

Alcaraz Battles Through Despite Inconsistencies
The defending champion, seeded second, had to dig deep against German world No. 125 Struff, eventually prevailing 6-1, 3-6, 6-3, 6-4. The 22-year-old Spaniard, bidding to become only the fifth man in the Open era to win three consecutive Wimbledon titles, struggled to find consistency throughout.

“I knew it was going to be really difficult. I had to be really focused. His game suits the grass with the big serves,” said Alcaraz.

“To be honest, I was suffering in every service game today. I’m really pleased that I kept fighting, ran for every ball, and made some great shots.”

Watched from the Royal Box by the likes of Gary Lineker and Anthony Joshua, Alcaraz made 28 unforced errors in a patchy performance. However, flashes of brilliance allowed him to edge past Struff and set up a last-16 clash with Russia’s Andrey Rublev.

Alcaraz, who was stretched to five sets by Fabio Fognini in the opening round and appeared off-colour again against British wildcard Oliver Tarvet, is yet to fully hit his stride on the lawns of SW19.

Mass Exodus of Women’s Seeds
The women’s singles draw has been decimated, with only four of the top ten seeds remaining after just five days of play.

American Madison Keys, the Australian Open champion, was the latest high-profile name to bow out, losing 6-3, 6-3 to Germany’s Laura Siegemund. Among those already eliminated are Coco Gauff, Jessica Pegula, Jasmine Paolini, and Zheng Qinwen.

Top seed Aryna Sabalenka ensured she would not follow the same path, surviving a pulsating clash with Emma Raducanu, who was roared on by an electric home crowd.

Sabalenka saved a set point in the opener and showed her trademark grit to eventually overcome the Briton 7-6 (8-6), 6-4, sealing her place in the last 16.

“I had to fight for every point like crazy,” said the three-time Grand Slam champion.

“What an atmosphere. My ears are still hurting, honestly. It was super loud. I kept pretending the crowd was cheering for me. I had goosebumps.”

Despite her major titles, Sabalenka has never gone beyond the semi-finals at Wimbledon and remains determined to break that barrier this year.

Osaka Out, Kartal and Mertens Progress
Elsewhere in the women’s draw, Naomi Osaka suffered another early Grand Slam exit, losing in three sets to Russia’s Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova. The four-time major winner has not reached the fourth round of a Slam since her 2021 Australian Open triumph.

“I still want to succeed — even though I get upset when I lose. That’s my competitive nature, and perhaps the younger sister syndrome,” Osaka said.

There were brighter fortunes for Britain’s Sonay Kartal, 13th seed Amanda Anisimova, and Belgium’s Elise Mertens, all of whom booked their spots in the second week.

Fritz, Norrie and Shelton Impress in Men’s Draw
US fifth seed Taylor Fritz avoided a third consecutive five-set marathon, dispatching Spain’s Alejandro Davidovich Fokina 6-4, 6-3, 6-7 (5-7), 6-1 in commanding fashion.

Britain’s Cameron Norrie also impressed, defeating Italian Mattia Bellucci in straight sets to reach the quarter-finals for the first time since his run to the last four in 2022.

Teenage Brazilian prospect Joao Fonseca exited the tournament, falling to Chilean qualifier Nicolas Jarry, while US 10th seed Ben Shelton took just 71 seconds to finish off Australia’s Rinky Hijikata, completing a 6-2, 7-5, 6-4 win after their match was suspended the previous day due to fading light.

With the first week of Wimbledon drawing to a close, a tournament renowned for its unpredictability is once again delivering drama, shock exits, and moments of brilliance — with the second week promising even more.