By Martyn Herman
LONDON (Reuters) - Defending champion Carlos Alcaraz was stretched to the limit en route to the Wimbledon fourth round but world number one Jannik Sinner, his likely semi-final opponent, was unruffled as he advanced in ominous fashion at rainy Wimbledon on Friday.
Play ended in late afternoon on most of the All England Club's courts as the heavens opened over southwest London.
But the significant action, including wins for women's second seed Coco Gauff and British favourite Emma Raducanu, went ahead under the Centre Court and Court One roofs.
The 21-year-old Alcaraz, bidding for his fourth Grand Slam title, ran into inspired American Frances Tiafoe in a repeat of their thrilling semi-final the 2022 U.S. Open.
Just as in New York, the two players traded blows in a match sprinkled with spectacular exchanges but once again it was Alcaraz who boasted the greater firepower - racking up 55 winners to Tiafoe's 39 in a 5-7 6-2 4-6 7-6(2) 6-2 win.
Put under extreme pressure by the all-action American, Alcaraz was in trouble towards the end of the fourth set but found another gear to dominate the tiebreak and then romp away to victory in the deciding set.
He has now reached at least the fourth round in 10 of his first 14 Grand Slam appearances while his record in five-setters now stands at a formidable 12-1.
"I'm playing with the statistics that I have just lost one match in the fifth set. That's an advantage for me. That's why in those situations I play at my high level," he said.
Alcaraz's day got even better as he finished in time to watch Spain beat Germany at Euro 2024, although he insisted he had not asked the schedulers for an early time slot.
Sinner no longer has an interest in the soccer after Italy's limp exit. Instead, the top seed is looking in the mood to become the second Italian to win multiple Grand Slam titles after Nicola Pietrangeli.
CLINICAL SINNER
After being pushed hard by compatriot and 2021 runner-up Matteo Berrettini in the first round, a clinical Sinner ran riot against Serbia's Miomir Kecmanovic, winning 6-1 6-4 6-2 in a little over one and a half hours.
Nineteen British players began in the singles but Gauff's 6-4 6-0 win over plucky qualifier Sonay Kartal reduced that number down to three as the tournament approaches halfway.
But very much still standing is Raducanu whose run so far is reminiscent of her fairytale in New York in 2021 when she won the title as a teenager having come through qualifying.
Wildcard Raducanu, who skipped the French Open to focus on Wimbledon, overpowered Greek ninth seed Maria Sakkari 6-2 6-3.
Raducanu also beat Sakkari in the U.S. Open semi-final and the parallels are stirring up a British frenzy of excitement.
"I only focus on who I'm playing next. I think that's the best way to be. I think staying present in the moment is what got me this far. I'm not going to start changing anything," Raducanu, who has not dropped a set so far, told reporters.
Next up is qualifer Lulu Sun, the first New Zealand woman to reach the Wimbledon fourth round since 1959.
Lurking in Raducanu's half of the draw is Spain's former world number two Paula Badosa who stunned Wimbledon dark horse Daria Kasatkina on Friday to reach the last 16.
Badosa, whose career was derailed by back problems and who needs cortisone injections, won 7-6(6) 4-6 6-4.
Italian Jasmine Paolini continued her impressive form as the French Open runner-up beat former U.S. Open champion Bianca Andreescu 7-6(4) 6-1 to make the last-16 for the first time.
While several third-round matches were unfinished because of the heavy rain, Bulgaria's Grigor Dimitrov made short work of Frenchman Gael Monfils as did Queen's Club winner Tommy Paul against unpredictable Kazakh Alexander Bublik.
(Reporting by Martyn Herman; Editing by Alison Williams)
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