WIMBLEDON, England – The Wimbledon quarterfinals are heating up as Carlos Alcaraz, the top-ranked player, prepares to face his old friend Holger Rune for a chance to advance to a potential showdown with Novak Djokovic. Alcaraz and Rune, both 20 years old, will battle it out on Centre Court on Wednesday. This is the first time since 2004 that more than one player under the age of 21 has reached the quarterfinals at the All England Club, making this match even more exciting.
Rune, hailing from Denmark, lost in the first round of his Wimbledon debut last year but has since become a two-time quarterfinalist at the French Open. The two players have faced each other once before, resulting in a 1-1 head-to-head record. Rune admitted that he had been looking forward to this matchup ever since the draw was announced. He reminisced about their time playing doubles as kids and expressed excitement about battling against his childhood friend on the singles court.
On Court No. 1, No. 3 seed Daniil Medvedev will take on Chris Eubanks, a 27-year-old American making his Wimbledon debut. Medvedev, who has expressed his love for playing on Court No. 1, will be looking to continue his strong form against Eubanks, who is known for his powerful serves. This match promises to be an intriguing clash of styles and a test for the American against one of the top players in the world.
The women’s quarterfinals will feature defending champion Elena Rybakina facing No. 6 seed Ons Jabeur in a rematch of last year’s final. Rybakina emerged victorious in three sets in that encounter, securing her first and, so far, only Grand Slam title. In the other women’s quarterfinal, No. 2 seed Aryna Sabalenka will go head-to-head with No. 25 seed Madison Keys. Both matches are expected to be fiercely contested as the players vie for a spot in the semifinals.
The schedule for Wednesday’s matches is as follows the Rybakina-Jabeur match will kick off the action on Centre Court at 130 p.m. local time (830 a.m. EDT), followed by the Alcaraz-Rune match, which is estimated to start around 330 p.m. local time (1030 a.m. EDT). On Court No. 1, the Sabalenka-Keys match will begin at 1 p.m. local time (8 a.m. EDT), followed by the Medvedev-Eubanks clash.
In other results, Novak Djokovic, the seven-time champion, reached his 46th Grand Slam semifinal, tying Roger Federer’s record for the most semifinal appearances by a male player. Djokovic secured a hard-earned victory over Andrey Rublev with a score of 4-6, 6-1, 6-4, 6-3. Meanwhile, eighth-seeded Jannik Sinner defeated Roman Safiullin in the quarterfinals with a score of 6-4, 3-6, 6-2, 6-2.
The women’s tournament saw some surprises as well, with wild-card entry Elina Svitolina advancing to the semifinals after defeating top-seeded Iga Swiatek in a hard-fought match that ended 7-5, 6-7 (5), 6-2. Marketa Vondrousova also secured her spot in the semifinals by defeating fourth-seeded Jessica Pegula with a score of 6-4, 2-6, 6-4.
As the tournament progresses, betting odds have shifted. With Swiatek out of the competition, Rybakina is now listed as the favorite to win the women’s championship, with odds of plus-300 according to Indibet Sportsbook. In the quarterfinals, Rybakina is favored at minus-176 against Jabeur, who stands at plus-146. Sabalenka, the No. 2 seed, is predicted to defeat Keys, with odds of minus-210 compared to Keys’ plus-172.
In the Alcaraz-Rune matchup, Alcaraz is favored at minus-490, while Rune stands at plus-365. Medvedev is an even bigger favorite against Eubanks, with odds of minus-580 compared to Eubanks’ plus-420. Interestingly, the payout for a five-set victory by Eubanks is significantly higher at plus-900, while a straight-set victory by Medvedev is listed at plus-135.
