Wimbledon: Jordan Thompson v Fritz, Rublev v Alcaraz, Sabalenka v Mertens
While Carlos Alcaraz could face his toughest challenge yet against volatile Russian Andrey Rublev, and Aryna Sabalenka eyes a deep Wimbledon run as other top seeds fall around her.
Unseeded Australian Thompson has taken several big scalps through the first three rounds, with come-from-behind, five-set victories against Vit Kopriva and Benjamin Bonzi before he dispatched Lucian Darderi in four sets.
Jordan Thompson has progressed to the fourth round. Picture: Getty Images
It sets up a mouth-watering clash with fellow big server Taylor Fritz, the American fifth-seed who has battled his fair share of adversity.
Fritz was on the cusp of elimination in the first round, down two sets to none against Frenchman Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard before fighting his way through in five sets, before advancing at the expense of Gabriel Diallo and Alejandro Davidovich Fokina.
American fifth-seed Taylor Fritz. Picture: Getty Images
Rublev is aware he has to be at the top of his game to cause an almighty upset and break his curse of never progressing beyond a Grand Slam quarter-final.
The world number 14 has reached the last eight on 10 occasions without ever making it to a semi-final.
'You cannot show any weaknesses,' said Rublev on the challenge of facing Alcaraz.
Rublev has already enjoyed a much happier time at Wimbledon than 12 months ago when he repeatedly smashed his racquet over his own leg during a shock first-round exit.
Carlos Alcaraz presents a massive Wimbledon roadblock for Andrey Rublev. Picture: AFP
But he has credited the influence of two-time Grand Slam champion Marat Safin, himself a notorious hothead in his prime, for bringing some calm to his game.
'There are two options,' he added. 'Try to go deeper. Or if I lose, to lose it in a mature, adult way.
'That would be success as well, to lose it in the right way.'
Three-time Grand Slam champion Sabalenka missed last year's Wimbledon due to a shoulder injury and was excluded in 2022 as part of a blanket ban on Russian and Belarusian athletes.
Sabalenka overcame a stern test of her tennis and temperament to end British favourite Emma Raducanu's run in the third round in arguably the match of the tournament so far.
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