Alcaraz gets past 733rd-ranked Tarvet in straight sets at Wimbledon

LONDON (AP) — For one game at least, it looked like Carlos Alcaraz could be in for another surprisingly tough encounter on Wimbledon’s Centre Court.

But after saving three break points in his opening service game against 733rd-ranked Ollie Tarvet, things got a bit more comfortable for the defending champion, who saw out a 6-1, 6-4, 6-4 second-round win over the unheralded collegiate player from Britain.

While he had to face another eight break points along the way — saving all but two — it was a considerably smoother win than his 4½ hour, five-set victory over Fabio Fognini in the opening round.

Still, Alcaraz couldn't help but be impressed with the University of San Diego student playing in his first Grand Slam tournament.

“I just love his game to be honest,” Alcaraz said. “I knew at the beginning that I had to be really focused and try to play my best tennis.”

Alcaraz took his overall winning streak to 20 matches.

After a slew of seeded players went out in the first round, he joined women's No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka in advancing in straight sets on Wednesday.

He will next face either 25th-seeded Felix Auger-Aliassime or Jan-Lennard Struff in the third round, as the Spaniard bids for a third straight Wimbledon title.

Alcaraz has already established himself as a massive fan favorite at the All England Club, but this was the first time he faced a British player at the grass-court Grand Slam — meaning crowd support was pretty evenly split.

“I know it's not personal,” Alcaraz said.

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