Tiafoe takes Alcaraz to the brink in five-set cliff-hanger

The bare facts are that Carlos Alcaraz is through to the fourth round of Wimbledon and Frances Tiafoe is not, but that does not begin to explain the theatre that unfolded under Centre Court's closed roof. The crowd hung on every ball in a match soundtracked by gasps and hollers, as the third and 29th seeds put on a show.

- LAWRENCE OSTLERE

Grown adults who, three hours earlier, had never seen Tiafoe hold a tennis racket found themselves roaring "Get him, Frances!" with both lungs, veins popping from their neck, urging the American to push the reigning champion further and further.

He did, forcing Alcaraz to dig into his reserves of energy and creativity, but Alcaraz reminded everyone just how deep they run, dominating the fifth set to win 5-7, 6-2, 4-6, 7-6 (2), 6-2.

Alcaraz and Tiafoe are both elite scurriers and it made for a thrilling combination, producing points full of fun and imagination and unfathomable angles. The match contained every conceivable shot: hot dogs, sliding volleys, the sort of pinball rallies at the net usually reserved for doubles, lobs that landed on the baseline with a plume of white powder.

This was a love-in on Centre Court: the crowd supported both players and the players appreciated each other. They have developed a friendship off the court, grounded in a shared joy, grown by a five-set thriller at the US Open semi-finals two years ago. In the build-up to Wimbledon, Tiafoe was asked a series of quickfire questions by a tennis publication including who he would want with him in the trenches. "Carlos Alcaraz," he replied.

The build-up had been filled with playful fighting talk. "I'm going for him!" Alcaraz said on Thursday, to which Tiafoe responded with a grin: "I'm going to be ready for a war."