Alcaraz faces amateur hour against young Brit at Wimbledon / Photo: HENRY NICHOLLS - AFP
Alcaraz faces amateur hour against young Brit at Wimbledon
Unheralded British amateur Oliver Tarvet is targeting arguably the biggest upset in Wimbledon history when he pits his wits against champion Carlos Alcaraz on Wednesday.
Emma Raducanu is hoping to make home advantage count against 2023 winner Marketa Vondrousova, while Brazilian sensation Joao Fonseca is aiming to copy Roger Federer's grace on the grass.
AFP Sport looks at the matches to watch on day three of the tournament at the All England Club.
Tarvet's tab
World number 733 Oliver Tarvet has an unusual issue after his run through qualifying to reach round two and the sport's most hallowed turf.
As a student of the University of San Diego he has to maintain amateur status to remain in the US collegiate tennis system.
Despite earning £99,000 ($136,000) in prize money so far, he can only bank $10,000 profit during the calendar year after subtracting his expenses.
The 21-year-old is already planning a more luxurious return trip to California but is also dreaming of ending Alcaraz's bid for a third straight title.
"I've got to find £60,000, £70,000 of expenses. Tennis is an expensive sport. So, hopefully, I can make that happen. Just pay my coaches a little bit extra. I don't know. We'll figure something out. Fly business class!" Tarvet said.
The British player, playing his first Grand Slam, is not short of self-belief and will hope Alcaraz is jaded after his gruelling five-set opener.
"I'm quietly confident that I can win against anyone," he said. "Alcaraz isn't an exception to that. Obviously, he's done an incredible amount in the tennis world. He's a difficult guy not to respect."
Raducanu's big test
British number one Emma Raducanu played down her chances on the eve of the tournament, saying she "does not expect much" as she juggles inconsistent form with a niggling back problem.
Last year's run to the fourth round at Wimbledon was the 22-year-old's best performance at a Grand Slam since she shot to fame by winning the US Open in 2021.
Currently 40th in the world, Raducanu has hit her highest ranking this year (36th) since September 2022.
Marketa Vondrousova may be 33 places further down the rankings, but the Czech is a grass-court specialist who is finding her feet again after a persistent shoulder injury.
The 26-year-old won her first title since winning Wimbledon just over a week ago at the Berlin Open and is a potential contender for the tournament now she is pain-free.
"When you are playing with pain, it's crazy. You just think about it all the time. It's there all the time," said Vondrousova.
"It's just the one thing you have on your mind all the time. Now I can focus on everything else, so it's great."
Teenage dreamer Fonseca mirrors Federer
Joao Fonseca said his Wimbledon debut felt like a "dream" as he swatted aside Jacob Fearnley in straight sets, thrashing 31 winners in the process.
The prodigiously talented Brazilian is one of the rising stars of the ATP Tour and has been studying Wimbledon's retired Swiss master Roger Federer for inspiration on how to adapt to the grass, a surface on which he has little experience.
"It's inspiring because you can see him in a big match, in a final against (Novak) Djokovic, and he just makes it so smooth, so easy," Fonseca said, referring to watching video clips of Federer.
"His style, his slice, coming to net, chip and charge. It was complete. That's what I want."
Fonseca next faces Eastbourne finalist Jacob Brooksby and his draw does not hold many terrors after eighth-seed Holger Rune's early exit.
L.McKay--EWJ
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