Carlos Alcaraz kept his title bid alive after overcoming a spirited Jan-Lennard Struff in the third round at Wimbledon on Friday.
Alcaraz was forced to four sets by the German but showed his mettle to earn a 6-1 3-6 6-3 6-4 victory in two hours and 25 minutes on Centre Court.
The Spaniard stormed through the opening set, and he did not look back after holding off two break points to take a 2-1 lead, as he won the next four games as well, converting his second set point on serve.
And Alcaraz looked to be in control at the start of the second set as well, getting an early break, but Struff fought back, returning the favour in the next game.
Struff then got another break in the eighth game, taking a 5-3 lead, and pulled level after serving out the set with ease.
However, the two-time Wimbledon champion regained his rhythm, starting the third set with a three-game winning streak that left Struff with no answer.
Alcaraz then pulled out a number of stunning drop volleys in the fourth set as he hammered home his advantage, getting a break in the penultimate game before serving out the match to love.
He will face Andrey Rublev, who beat Adrian Mannarino in straight sets earlier on Friday in the round of 16.
Home favourite Cameron Norrie is also through to the next round, having held off Mattia Bellucci with a 7-6 (7-5) 6-4 6-3 victory.
In the past 20 years, Norrie is the fourth unseeded player to reach the men's singles fourth round at both Roland-Garros and Wimbledon in a season, and the first since Karen Khachanov in 2018.
However, there was a third-round exit for 18-year-old Joao Fonseca, who could not get over the line despite a late fightback.
He was beaten by 6-3 6-4 3-6 7-6 (7-4) by Nicolas Jarry in just over three hours.
Data Debrief: Just no stopping Alcaraz
Alcaraz is looking to become just the fifth man in the Open Era to lift three consecutive Wimbledon trophies and has now won his last 17 matches at SW19.
Alcaraz (22 years 56 days) has become the second-youngest player in the Open Era to reach four consecutive men's singles rounds of 16 at Wimbledon, older only than Bjorn Borg (22y 20d).
Since the inaugural ATP Tour season in 1990, Alcaraz is now one of four players under 23 to win 21+ consecutive matches at ATP level, along with Jim Courier, Rafael Nadal and Juan Martin del Potro.
