Three to See, Wimbledon Day 8: Keys vs. Andreeva, Tsitsipas vs. Eubanks, Alcaraz vs. Berrettini

The Break: Why Is It So Hard To Get A Wimbledon Ticket?

Madison Keys vs. Mirra Andreeva

Who said it’s tough to get used to grass? Mirra Andreeva has made a mockery of that idea so far at Wimbledon. The 16-year-old came into qualifying two weeks ago having never played a match on the surface. Six wins later, she’s into the fourth round and the second week.

This, it seems, is how the precocious Russian does things. In her Roland Garros debut last month, she also came through qualifying and reached the third round, where she lost to Coco Gauff in three sets. Now she’ll face another, even-more-experienced American in Madison Keys. She's gone a round farther already; can she make it two?

Most of us first saw Andreeva play in Madrid in May, when she reached the round of 16; two months later, she already looks like a much better player. She has a knack for making improbable defensive saves, and she has hit some phenomenal running backhand drives. Both skills are rewarded on this surface. But she’ll likely need more of each to stop Keys. The power-hitting American will have the match on her racquet most of the time. Her superior serve will be a weapon, and she should make inroads with her return on Andreeva’s still-developing delivery. You never know when Keys will go off—in a bad way—but the Eastbourne champ has been very much on for the last few weeks. Winner: Keys

UPDATE:

Stefanos Tsitsipas vs. Chris Eubanks

The Greek and the American have been two of the big stories on the men’s side so far. Especially in Great Britain. Tsitsipas eliminated the country’s sentimental favorite, Andy Murray, in five dramatic sets; Eubanks eliminated the country’s top-ranked player, Cam Norrie, in four. Neither man showed any signs of a letdown in their straight-set wins in the next round.

Eubanks’ presence here is obviously a surprise. He’s 27, he has spent most of his career outside the Top 100, and his Grand Slam record before this tournament was 2-8. But his bending serve, wide wingspan and slice backhand have made him a nightmare to break—he’s 4-0 in tiebreakers. But Tsitsipas, despite his No. 5 seeding, was hardly a lock to get here, either; this is just the second time he’s reached the fourth round at Wimbledon.

I’d say that fact, and his relative weakness from the backhand side, would make him ripe for an upset against an opponent like Eubanks. But after so many straight days on court, and two five-set wins, he may have played himself into top form. Winner: Tsitsipas

Carlos Alcaraz vs. Matteo Berrettini

If there’s a tennis match that merits the term “heavy artillery,” this Centre Court slugfest is it. One thing we know for sure: The balls are going to take a pounding. Alcaraz cracks his with lightning pace and spin, while Berrettini alternates between hammering them with his serve and chopping them to bits with his backhand.

The Spaniard and the Italian have bought that artillery to bear on each other three times in the past, and the results have been explosive and highly competitive. Alcaraz won their first meeting, on indoor hard courts, in a third-set tiebreaker; Berrettini won their second, in a fifth-set tiebreaker, at the Australian Open; and Alcaraz won again in three sets on clay last year in Rio.

They haven’t faced off in 16 months. In that time, Alcaraz has rocketed to No. 1, while Berrettini, currently ranked No. 38, has been brought down by injury. In this case, though, grass may be the great equalizer. Berrettini, a Wimbledon finalist in 2021, thrives on it, while the 20-year-old Alcaraz is still finding his way. Alcaraz showed grit by raising his game to beat Nicolas Jarry in his last match, but doing the same against Berrettini, who hasn’t been broken in the tournament yet, will be a bigger ask. Two of their matches have come down to a deciding-set tiebreaker. Why not make it a third? Winner: Berrettini