Alcaraz Aims for Perfect Serve at Wimbledon, Raducanu Ready for Sabalenka Upset
Carlos Alcaraz is on a quest for his third consecutive Wimbledon title, set to face German underdog Jan-Lennard Struff in the third round on Friday. Meanwhile, British sensation Emma Raducanu hopes to pull off an upset against world No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka in an exciting Centre Court matchup.
Alcaraz Fine-Tuning His Serve
The world No. 2 has been working diligently to improve his serve, an essential aspect of his game, especially on grass. In his first two matches against Fabio Fognini and Oliver Tarvet, Alcaraz expressed dissatisfaction with his serving performance.
“I think here at Wimbledon, I’m struggling a little bit with the serve,” Alcaraz admitted. “I’m feeling really different between Queen’s and here with the balls, with the speed. On grass, the serve is probably the most important shot.”
Despite winning Wimbledon the past two years and securing the title at the Queen’s Club warm-up event, Alcaraz knows he must step up his serving game to maintain his title defense. “I’m going to pay much attention to the serve. Let’s see if in the third round I’ll be better,” he added.
Raducanu Ready to Challenge Sabalenka
Emma Raducanu is brimming with confidence as she prepares to take on top seed Aryna Sabalenka. The British player showcased her potential by defeating former Wimbledon champion Marketa Vondrousova in the second round.
“I feel amazing,” Raducanu said. “Of course, Aryna is No. 1 in the world, she’s been so dominant in the women’s game. I know it’s going to be a massive challenge.”
This matchup marks Raducanu’s first Grand Slam meeting with a world No. 1. After overcoming injury struggles earlier this year, the world number 40 is eager to make a mark at SW19 and add to the tournament’s list of surprising upsets, especially with several top seeds already eliminated.
Osaka Aims for Fourth Round Breakthrough
Japan’s Naomi Osaka is also looking to make waves at Wimbledon as she faces Russian world number 50 Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova. This will be Osaka’s fifth main draw appearance at Wimbledon, where she has yet to reach the fourth round.
“I think it’s working, and I’m moving pretty well,” Osaka remarked, reflecting on her journey back to form. The four-time Grand Slam champion, now ranked 53rd in the WTA standings, aims to shed the fear that has hindered her performance in recent years.
