Post-match interviews on the show courts at Wimbledon are generally quite entertaining, especially if the player in question is willing to lean in and go with the flow of the sometimes silly questioning.
They usually are, too, which is especially good news for the crowd during the first week Wimbledon when the show-court matches are often lopsided contests between top players and big underdogs. Fans who had to sit through a snooze-fest of a match want something else to remember before they are ushered out to leave and perhaps get back at the queue for the next day at the Championships.
For Carlos Alcaraz, the light-hearted subject so far this fortnight has been golf–which he has been playing with none other than two-time Wimbledon champion and British hero Andy Murray on his off days. Alcaraz and Murray reportedly split their first two rounds at one win apiece, but now it sounds like Murray has a 2-1 advantage.
“I don’t remember playing a match yesterday,” Alcaraz joked after beating Andrey Rublev on Sunday night. “No, I have to say he beat me. We were playing in his home, so it could be really bad for him if I beat him. So I let him win.”
“I’m just trying to play as much golf as I can (on) my days off during the tournament,” the Spaniard at his press conference. “(Also) when I’m having some days off at home. It is a sport that is really helpful for me to switch off my mind a little bit. A match in golf is always welcome for me…. (I) just have to improve a little bit, my golf.”
Between the lines of the tennis court, it’s hard to see how Alcaraz can improve at the moment. The 22-year-old’s winning streak extended to 22 matches with his victory on Sunday. Although he has not been dominant entirely dominant at the AELTC this time around, he produced a stellar display against Rublev in the final three sets after losing the first in a ‘breaker.
“Today I just played my best match so far in the tournament,” Alcaraz noted. “(I’m) just feeling great. I’m just really proud and happy that today (was) much better than the previous matches. Hopefully (I’ll) keep it going and feel even more comfortable.”
That’s bad news for Cameron Norrie, who is up next for the No. 2 seed and two-time defending champion in the quarterfinals on Tuesday. Norrie outlasted Nicolas Jarry in a five-setter.
Ricky contributes to 10sballs.com and also maintains his own tennis website, The Grandstand. You can follow him on Twitter at @Dimonator.