Alcaraz, Medvedev Advance; Ruud Stumbles at Wimbledon

Defending Wimbledon champion Carlos Alcaraz and fifth seed Daniil Medvedev overcame early challenges to advance to the third round, while eighth seed Casper Ruud suffered a disappointing exit on a rain-affected Wednesday.

Alcaraz faced a stern test from Australian Aleksandar Vukic, narrowly escaping a first-set loss before finding his rhythm to secure a 7-6(5) 6-2 6-2 victory. The Spaniard expressed confidence in rediscovering the form that propelled him to the title last year.

Medvedev also encountered difficulties against Alexandre Muller, ranked 102nd in the world. The Russian struggled on Centre Court but eventually prevailed 6-7(3) 7-6(4) 6-4 7-5.

Second seed Coco Gauff displayed signs of improvement despite a shaky start against Anca Todoni. The American acknowledged the need to minimize errors after winning 6-2 6-1.

Wild card Emma Raducanu showcased her dominance with a 6-1 6-2 victory over Elise Mertens. However, former U.S. Open champion Naomi Osaka's Wimbledon journey ended with a 6-4 6-1 defeat to American Emma Navarro.

Rain disrupted play on the outer courts, leading to the early elimination of Ruud. The Italian Fabio Fognini upset the Norwegian 6-4 7-5 6-7(1) 6-3. Ruud expressed disappointment but acknowledged his limitations on grass courts.

Later in the day, world number one Jannik Sinner and Matteo Berrettini will face off in a highly anticipated Centre Court clash.

Tags: #Wimbledon2023, #CarlosAlcaraz, #DaniilMedvedev, #CasperRuud, #CocoGauff