Two things that stood out in Carlos Alcaraz's 4R win over Matteo Berrettini at Wimbledon

Top seed and World No. 1 Carlos Alcaraz of Spain beat Matteo Berrettini of Italy 3-6, 6-3, 6-3, 6-3 in the fourth round of Wimbledon on Monday, July 10. The match lasted for just over three hours, with the win keeping the 20-year-old Spaniard in contention for his second Grand Slam title.

The 27-year-old Italian, who is a former runner-up at Wimbledon, started off well, but could not hold on to his good start. Alcaraz proved to be too strong for him in the end. The Spaniard will face Denmark’s Holger Rune in the quarterfinal on Wednesday, July 12.

On that note, let us take a look at two things that stood out in Alcaraz's fourth round match against Berretini:

#1. Berrettini put a lot of pressure on the Spaniard’s second serve in the first set:

Matteo Berrettini attacked Alcaraz’s second serve to good effect in the first set. The 27-year-old went on to break the Spaniard in the eighth game of the set to take a 5-3 lead and then managed to serve it out. The Italian rushed the net quite frequently to put Alcaraz on the back foot and won a number of points with volleys and overhead smashes.

Alcaraz was able to win only 43% of the points on his second serve in the first set. It was the Spaniard's second dropped set in the tournament so far, after losing a set against Nicolas Jarry in the third round.

#2. Alcaraz’s drop volleys and drop shots helped him bounce back:

Alcaraz ventured into the forecourt more often from the second set onwards, utilizing drop volleys to great effect. The World No. 1 utilized more drop shots and dragged the Italian to the net frequently.

Alcaraz’s superior touch at the net and his ability to hit well off either wing helped him have the upper hand in the match. Berrettini often opted to play slices off his backhand, which allowed the Spaniard enough time to dictate terms with his drop shots and drop volleys.

Alcaraz managed to get the decisive break of serve in each of the last three sets to ease towards a victory. He had 16 break points in the match, owing to Berrettini’s weaker second serve. The Italian managed to win only 69% of the points on his second delivery, while Alcaraz managed a far better 70%.