Wimbledon, Sinner-Alcaraz third challenge: odds, curiosities, precedents

From the Alicante Challenger, in April 2019, to the round of 16 at Wimbledon. Sinner-Alcaraz third act, in the most prestigious stage and with the eyes of the world on him: the one between Jannik and Carlos at the Championships will be a challenge in which present and future come together and which could represent the first chapter of a long series at Grand Slam level. The hope for Italian tennis is that this can become the rivalry of the future, in the meantime we need to think about today: whoever wins the match scheduled for Sunday could then face Novak Djokovic in the quarter-finals, with the Serbian who will see it. with the Dutch surprise Tim van Rijthoven in the second round.

Previous

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Up to now Alcaraz has always got the better of Sinner. It happened precisely in the Challenger three years ago in Spain on clay (6-2 3-6 6-3 in the first round for the boy from El Palmar, then defeated in the next match by Lukas Rosol) and, at Atp level, the last year on the hard courts of Paris Bercy, with the 7-6 7-5 in favor of Carlos in the second round. Both players have already reached the quarter-finals in two different Grand Slams and never at Wimbledon: Alcaraz at Roland Garros this year and at the US Open in 2021, Sinner at the Australian Open at the start of the season and in Paris in 2020. Who is the favorite? Bookmakers are betting on the Spanish player.

The numbers

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On Friday the two passed the third round in fact simultaneously, with two authoritative tests: Sinner beat the insidious John Isner in three sets, Alcaraz left no way out for the German Oscar Otte. Both have lost two halves in the tournament so far: Jannik one against Wawrinka and one against Ymer, Carlos two in the first round against Struff before winning in the fifth. For the pupil of Simone Vagnozzi it will be the challenge number 25 against a top-10 in his career: the balance up to now is seven wins and 17 defeats, which becomes 1-5 at the Grand Slam level. Sinner had won the first, against Sasha Zverev at Roland Garros in 2020, before losing the next five.