As It Happened At Wimbledon 2025, Alcaraz beats Out Rublev, Norrie Through To Quarter-Finals, Kartal Bows Out – As It Happened

Carlos Alcaraz speaks: “He’s pushing you to the limit with every ball. I think I played very intelligent, very smart. It’s about belief in yourself. Tennis it can change in one point. You have stay strong mentally. The break in the second set turned around everything. I am going to play against a British player. I will try to enjoy as much as I can. It’s super special and it’s a gift. I know [Cam Norrie] well. He’s playing great.”

He then admits Andy Murray beat him at golf. “I let him win.

OK, 15-0, then 3-0 as Rublev cranks a forehand out of play. Rublev then prevails in a fine rally that sends Alcaraz to Putney Bridge and back. Then, an Alcaraz error for 30-30. Uh oh? An ace down the line, and match point arrives. He will need another as Rublev forces an error for deuce. Here it comes after a lob and smash routine plants the ball beyond reach. The serve skids in, and Rublev can’t return it. The champion is in the quarter-finals.

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Alcaraz makes it 4-2 with a love hold, sealing it with a chopped drop. Rublev is asked to save himself by holding serve but here comes the relentlessness. 0-30 becomes 15-30 with a chopping volley. Then Rublev misses a winner and must face break point. He saves himself with some power hitting, winning a rally and then smashing a huge serve. He’s beaten by Alcaraz’s court speed, and is pegged back to deuce. But, but Rublev holds. That’s gutsy in the extreme.

Here comes the Alcaraz push. 0-30 as Rublev tightens up. Then comes a double fault for three break points. Rublev saves the first two, and then Alcaraz is fooled by a mishit second serve. Next, Rublev nets, and then, another second serve and Alcaraz steals in and doesn’t miss this time. Rublev is furious with himself. It’s 3-2, and Alcaraz will serve next.

Rublev comes out, full of gusto after his comfort break. Some big hitting lands him the fourth set’s opening games, and he holds the third, too. Alcaraz is less of a server but is still launching bombs. He levels at 2-2 with some groundstrokes having to help him along.

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Alcaraz, with a couple of wobbles, sees out his service game. He’s hitting the lines with his shots and pushing Rublev to the limit. The Russian is still holding strong, and so Alcaraz is asked to serve out at 5-4 up in the third set. He does so in mere seconds.

Alcaraz really turns it on in the seventh game, two unbelievable returns hand him break point, and then, even better, from the back of the court he shovels over a winner when Rublev had all but won the point. 4-3, and he’s a break up.

The third set is going with serve but it feels like Rublev is piling on the pressure. At 2-3 down, Alcaraz faces a break point after some real court speed from Alcaraz. A huge serve means it’s deuce. Double fault from Alcaraz takes it back there, too. But he sees it out for 3-3.