London: Defending champion Carlos Alcaraz continued his impressive Wimbledon campaign on Wednesday, securing a commanding 7-6 (7/5), 6-2, 6-2 victory over Australia's Aleksandar Vukic.

Initially challenged to assert dominance, the third seed faced a competitive start under the Centre Court roof. Despite early difficulties, Alcaraz rallied after clinching the first set via tie-break and conceded only four more games throughout the match.

Vukic, ranked 69th, had a chance to seize the first set when he served at 6-5, but faltered, allowing Alcaraz to level and eventually take control of the match. The Spaniard, who notably defeated Novak Djokovic in last year's Wimbledon final, capitalised with two breaks in both the second and third sets, swiftly closing out the match in one hour and 48 minutes.

Alcaraz now eyes a rare achievement, aiming to join an elite group including Rod Laver, Bjorn Borg, Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal, and Novak Djokovic by winning consecutive French Open and Wimbledon titles.

Up next for Alcaraz is a challenging encounter against Frances Tiafoe, the American whom he defeated in a thrilling five-set semi-final at the 2022 US Open en route to claiming his maiden Grand Slam title. AFP