LONDON — Defending Wimbledon champion Carlos Alcaraz hit big shots when it mattered most on Centre Court Sunday, holding off Hugo Humbert for a 6-3, 6-4, 1-6, 7-5 victory and a place in the quarterfinals.
The match appeared all but over when Alcaraz chased multiple out-of-reach shots on set point, fell after a forehand hit, then got back up to face the next ball to take the second set.
Asked to describe his play in that regard, Alcaraz simply said, “I think it’s unbelievable.”
But Humbert nearly pulled off a stunning comeback, holding three consecutive break points in the fourth set to lead 5-3 and force the match into a fifth set.
Alcaraz came back with a few aces to win the game, then broke with a deep forehand winner to take a 6-5 lead.
He set up match point with a delicate forehand drop shot and converted it with a service winner.
“I played great today. I felt like I played at a really high level,” said Alcaraz. He will next face the winner of the match between world No. 12 Tommy Paul and Roberto Bautista Augusto.
Earlier, French Open runner-up Jasmine Paolini reached her first Wimbledon quarterfinal, but Madison Keys was forced to withdraw at 5-5 in the third set of the fourth round with a leg injury.
Keys took a 5-2 victory in the deciding set but was limping more afterwards and needed a medical timeout to treat her left foot after Paolini trailed 5-4.
She had tape on her left thigh as she served for the second time, but was broken again (double-faulting on break point) and was visibly restricted and in tears by the end of the game.
Keys tried to keep playing, but after Paolini hit an ace in the final game to make it 15-15, the American eventually went to the net and told the chair umpire on Court 1 to forfeit.
The Italian won the first set 6-3 before Keys took the second set 7-6 (6).
With the score at deuce, 5-2, in the third set, Keys was two points away from victory.
“I feel really sorry for her, it’s a shame to end the match like that,” Paolini said in an on-court interview. “What can I say? We played a really good match. It was really tough. A lot of ups and downs. I’m a little bit happy, but I also feel bad for her. It’s not easy to win like that.”
Paolini is just the fifth Italian woman to reach the quarterfinals at Wimbledon since the professional era began and is bidding to become the first to reach the semifinals.
She will face the winner of the match between No. 2 seed Coco Gauff and No. 19 seed Emma Navarro, who will face each other later on Centre Court.
Keys, the 2017 U.S. Open runner-up, was seeking a second consecutive quarterfinal appearance at the All England Club and her third overall.
