World No 1 Jannik Sinner survived a scare against fellow Italian and former Wimbledon finalist Matteo Berrettini, coming through a thrilling four-set tussle to reach the third round.
The top seed put on a show to beat Berrettini, runner-up to Novak Djokovic in 2021, 7-6 (7-3) 7-6 (7-4) 2-6 7-6 (7-4) in a high-level encounter that finished under the Centre Court roof shortly after 10.30pm.
Berrettini, plagued by injuries since his run to the final three years ago, showed flashes of his brilliance with 28 aces and 65 winners.
Sinner was wobbling when he went a break down early in the fourth set set but the Australian Open champion managed to wrestle back control.
Berrettini saved a match point when serving at 5-6 in the fourth set and belted away a forehand to set up the third tie-break of an absorbing tussle, with Sinner again coming up with the goods.
It’s the 22-year-old 14th win in 14 against fellow Italians and means he will continue his quest for a second Grand Slam title against Serbia’s Miomir Kecmanovic in the third round on Friday after he came back from two sets to one down to beat Dutch 27th seed Tallon Griekspoor 4-6 7-6 (9-7) 1-6 6-2 6-3.
Sinner, whose victory kept him on course for a semi-final showdown with reigning champion Carlos Alcaraz, paid tribute to his compatriot during his on-court interview.
“We are very good friends, we play Davis Cup together, we practice together sometimes and tough we had to face each other in second round,” he said.
“I knew I had to raise my level. He played final here, he is a grass-court specialist and I was looking forward to it. It was a challenge but I am very happy with how I handled the situation.”
Alcaraz shakes off cobwebs as Sinner survives Wimbledon scare
Defending Wimbledon champion Alcaraz made a shaky start to his second-round match against unseeded Australian Aleksandar Vukic but ultimately moved through the gears to seal a 7-6 (7-5) 6-2 6-2 win.
The 28-year-old Vukic had form for upsetting the Spaniard, having beaten the then 17-year-old in French Open qualifying four years ago.
The defending champion from Spain was broken twice by world No 69 Vukic, firstly when serving for the opening set. But there was to be no repeat of their prior clash as Alcaraz managed to break back to force a tie-break, which he dominated and then never looked back.
“I’m really happy about my performance today,” he said. “The first set was the key for me. He served for the set and then I played a really good tie-break.
“In the second and third I played a really high level so I’m really happy about it.”
Alcaraz broke for a 4-2 lead in the as Vukic miscued an overhead smash at the net but the Spaniard handed the advantage back to his opponent three games later and was broken again in the opening set.
He recovered to force a tie-break, where he took a healthy 5-1 lead, but allowed Vukic to win three-straight points only to raise his level again and take the set as Spanish fans breathed a sigh of relief on Court One.
The French Open champion, who is bidding for a fourth Grand Slam title, did not give Vukic any more opportunities and closed out the second set quickly before easing through the third.
Up next for the 21-year-old three-time Grand Slam champion is American Frances Tiafoe.
“I’m going for him,” he added. “We played a really good match in the US Open. I know he is a really talented player, a tough one, even tougher on grass with his style.
“It’s going to be a very difficult match for me. I’m ready to take that challenge, put on a show and hopefully take him.”
Elsewhere, American Christopher Eubanks, who reached the quarter-finals last year, suffered a 6-4 6-4 6-2 loss to Frenchman Quentin Halys.
Norwegian eighth seed Casper Ruud, a two-times French Open finalist, tumbled out after being beaten 6-4 7-5 6-7 (7-1) 6-3 by 37-year-old Italian Fabio Fognini.
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