Struff stress but Carlitos maintains hat-trick charge
The Spanish champion knew all about the danger of the 35-year-old Struff, having been knocked out of the 2021 French Open by him when he was an emerging star and then also getting stretched by the towering German over five sets at the following year's Wimbledon.
And the same old problems emerged again on Friday when, after Alcaraz had eased through the first set, Struff, who blasted down 13 aces in all, responded brilliantly to clinch the crucial break for 5-3 before levelling the match.
But Alcaraz, who'd also had a serious workout from another veteran, Fabio Fognini, over five sets in the opening round, once again found another gear to prevail 6-1 3-6 6-3 6-4 in two hours and 25 minutes.
"I knew it was going to be really difficult and I had to be focused on every shot," said the 22-year-old.
"His game suits the grass, big serves, coming to the net, so I'm pleased with everything I did today. Proud to get the win in four sets.
"To be honest I was suffering in every service game I did. Lots of break points down. It was stressful," added Alcaraz, who set up a last-16 date with 14th seed Andrey Rublev, who eased past veteran French leftie Adrian Mannarino 7-5 6-2 6-3.
Taylor Fritz, who had already negotiated two marathon five-setters over three days to reach the third round, needed another three hours and 12 minutes to get past Spaniard Alejandro Davidovich Fokina.
Yet though his workload has been massive and he's had issues with his knee, he reckons he's actually feeling stronger as each match goes by as he gets ready to face Australian Jordan Thompson, four-set victor over Luciano Darderi, in the last-16.
It as the end of the road for Brazil's rising teenage star Joao Fonseca, who couldn't keep his legion of noisy fans happy after losing to the resurgent Chilean qualifier Nicolas Jarry, who secured a fourth-round meeting with Britain's Cameron Norrie after a 6-3 6-4 3-6 7-6 (7-4) victory on a raucous No.2 Court.
The home fans, fed up after the exit of their big men's hope Jack Draper on Thursday, still have Cameron Norrie, their 2022 semi-finalist, to cheer after the last British man standing beat Italy's Mattia Bellucci 7-6 (7-5) 6-4 6-3.
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Jule Brand scored one goal and set up the other to lead Germany to a 2-0 win over debutant Poland in their women's European Championship opening game. Germany, the eight-time champions, needed patience against the hard-tackling and committed Polish, but Brand made the most of a lapse in concentration when she cut inside two defenders to break the deadlock in the 52nd minute. The winger then sent in a cross for Lea Schüller to seal the result with a header in the 66th. Germany lost captain Giulia Gwinn to injury late in the first half after she made a desperate challenge to stop Ewa Pajor from scoring. Pajor, the Poland captain, was her team's biggest threat and might have levelled the score in the 64th after she sent a German defender flying, only for Germany goalkeeper Ann-Katrin Berger to stand firm against her centrally placed shot. Berger later produced a brilliant reflex save to stop Pajor's header. Like Poland, Berger was making her competition debut. 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Jule Brand scored one goal and set up the other to lead Germany to a 2-0 win over debutant Poland in their women's European Championship opening game. Germany, the eight-time champions, needed patience against the hard-tackling and committed Polish, but Brand made the most of a lapse in concentration when she cut inside two defenders to break the deadlock in the 52nd minute. The winger then sent in a cross for Lea Schüller to seal the result with a header in the 66th. Germany lost captain Giulia Gwinn to injury late in the first half after she made a desperate challenge to stop Ewa Pajor from scoring. Pajor, the Poland captain, was her team's biggest threat and might have levelled the score in the 64th after she sent a German defender flying, only for Germany goalkeeper Ann-Katrin Berger to stand firm against her centrally placed shot. Berger later produced a brilliant reflex save to stop Pajor's header. Like Poland, Berger was making her competition debut. The 34-year-old Germany goalkeeper missed the previous tournament and later said she was diagnosed with cancer for the second time. On Friday she became Germany's oldest player at a European Championship. Berger was the busier of the two goalkeepers as Poland's central defensive partnership of Paulina Dudek and Emilia Szymczak kept the pacey German forwards in check. Dudek did not reemerge for the second half, however, presumably because of an injury, and Brand took it as an invitation to steer her team to a winning start. Germany are looking for their first major title since winning their eighth European Championship in 2013. They went close at the last edition, losing to host England 2-1 after extra time in the 2022 final. Sweden defeated Denmark 1-0 in the other Group C match earlier. Filippa Angeldal got the all-important goal in the 55th minute.
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Jule Brand scored one goal and set up the other to lead Germany to a 2-0 win over debutant Poland in their women's European Championship opening game. Germany, the eight-time champions, needed patience against the hard-tackling and committed Polish, but Brand made the most of a lapse in concentration when she cut inside two defenders to break the deadlock in the 52nd minute. The winger then sent in a cross for Lea Schüller to seal the result with a header in the 66th. Germany lost captain Giulia Gwinn to injury late in the first half after she made a desperate challenge to stop Ewa Pajor from scoring. Pajor, the Poland captain, was her team's biggest threat and might have levelled the score in the 64th after she sent a German defender flying, only for Germany goalkeeper Ann-Katrin Berger to stand firm against her centrally placed shot. Berger later produced a brilliant reflex save to stop Pajor's header. Like Poland, Berger was making her competition debut. The 34-year-old Germany goalkeeper missed the previous tournament and later said she was diagnosed with cancer for the second time. On Friday she became Germany's oldest player at a European Championship. Berger was the busier of the two goalkeepers as Poland's central defensive partnership of Paulina Dudek and Emilia Szymczak kept the pacey German forwards in check. Dudek did not reemerge for the second half, however, presumably because of an injury, and Brand took it as an invitation to steer her team to a winning start. Germany are looking for their first major title since winning their eighth European Championship in 2013. They went close at the last edition, losing to host England 2-1 after extra time in the 2022 final. Sweden defeated Denmark 1-0 in the other Group C match earlier. Filippa Angeldal got the all-important goal in the 55th minute.
