Alcaraz Dominates Tarvet as Paolini Faces Shock Exit at Wimbledon
Carlos Alcaraz continued his quest for a second consecutive Wimbledon title by defeating British amateur Oliver Tarvet 6-1, 6-4, 6-4 in a commanding performance that saw the defending champion advance to the third round. Meanwhile, last year’s runner-up, Jasmine Paolini, became the latest high-profile casualty, crashing out of the tournament.
In a match that lasted two hours and 17 minutes, Alcaraz demonstrated his skill and experience against the world number 733 Tarvet, who captured the crowd’s admiration with moments of brilliance despite the loss. “First of all, I have to give big praise to Oliver. I loved his game,” Alcaraz stated, acknowledging the young player’s potential.
The 22-year-old Spaniard, on a remarkable 20-match winning streak, has claimed titles at the Rome Masters, French Open, and Queen’s Club this year. Alcaraz aims to become just the fifth man in the Open Era to win three consecutive Wimbledon titles, joining legends like Novak Djokovic and Roger Federer.
In stark contrast, Tarvet, a student at the University of San Diego, is still in the early stages of his professional career. “It’s not every day that you get to play against maybe the best player in the world,” he said, reflecting on the experience.
The tournament has seen a record number of seeds eliminated early, with nine of the top ten players knocked out in the first round. Paolini, seeded fourth, fell to Russia’s Kamilla Rakhimova in a closely contested match, losing 4-6, 6-4, 6-4.
While many top players faced early exits, world number one Aryna Sabalenka advanced by defeating Marie Bouzkova 7-6(4), 6-4 and expressed her disappointment over the upsets. “Honestly, it’s very sad to see so many top players losing,” she remarked.
In other results, Emma Raducanu, the former US Open champion, triumphed over 2023 Wimbledon winner Marketa Vondrousova, winning 6-3, 6-3. Meanwhile, American 12th seed Frances Tiafoe fell to Britain’s Cameron Norrie in a surprising second-round upset.
On the men’s side, fifth seed Taylor Fritz survived another five-set thriller against Gabriel Diallo, clinching the final set 6-3 to secure his place in the next round.
