Alcaraz survives five-set whirlwind to reach Wimbledon second round

LONDON — It might not have been the workout Carlos Alcaraz was hoping for as he nursed a sore elbow but the Spaniard showed why he is considered the next big thing as he toppled Jan-Lennard Struff 4-6, 7-5, 4-6, 7-6(3), 6-4 in the Wimbledon first round.

The 19-year-old has enjoyed an incredible season on clay and hardcourts — winning titles in Rio, Miami, Barcelona and Madrid — and on Monday he proved he has the skills and mental belief to succeed on the sport’s slickest surface.

Despite still being a grasscourt novice, fifth seed Alcaraz did not let German Struff’s 218-kph hurtling serves or the disappointment of losing two of the opening three sets faze him.

Facing an opponent he described as “big serve, big shots,” Alcaraz kept his nerve to fire down 30 aces and produced an assortment of breathtaking passing shots to secure only his second ever win on grass.

In their only previous meeting, Struff beat Alcaraz in straight sets in the third round at last year’s Roland-Garros.

But since that showdown, their careers have headed in opposite directions. — Reuters