Wimbledon: Alcaraz hails 'unbelievable' point after Humbert triumph

Carlos Alcaraz continued his defence of the Wimbledon crown with a hard-fought win over Ugo Humbert in the last 16, picking out his "unbelievable" set point in the second set as the highlight.

Alcaraz withstood a late push from Humbert to win 6-3 6-4 1-6 7-5 and book his place in the last eight, where he will play Tommy Paul or Roberto Bautista Agut.

He was made to work for his two-set advantage on Centre Court, saving four break points in the fifth game of the second then breaking Humbert's resistance.

He showed remarkable athleticism on set point, recovering from a fall to sprint back to mid-court and tee up Humbert for a missed volley.

Alcaraz later found a second wind in the fourth set, smashing 17 winners to Humbert's 10 to get over the line.

Asked how he would describe his efforts on that earlier set point, Alcaraz said: "Unbelievable, I guess! I just try to fight for every ball.

"It doesn't matter which part of the court I am at, I just try to run to whichever part of the court I am on, giving myself the chance to stay alive in the point.

"Set point was a really important point for me so I had to show the opponent that whatever shot he hits, I will be there.

"That's me, I will be there, fighting until the last ball and sometimes it is a good point like this one and sometimes I lose it, but the main thing is just to fight."

Just more @carlosalcaraz magic #Wimbledon pic.twitter.com/1fpn7JLlOe

— Wimbledon (@Wimbledon) July 7, 2024

Data Debrief: Alcaraz continues grand slam love story

Alcaraz's triumph saw him reach a ninth men's singles quarter-final from 14 grand slam draws entered - the most of any player who began their career in the Open Era through their first 14 participations.

The Spaniard also maintained his winning streak at grand slams, having now won 11 matches in a row following his French Open triumph last month.

But there will be room for improvement for Alcaraz, who uncharacteristically served six double faults throughout the contest, compared to Hubert's one.