Defending champion Carlos Alcaraz targets the Wimbledon quarter-finals on Sunday against a piano-loving Frenchman. His opponent, world number 16 Ugo Humbert is a passionate piano player. Emma Raducanu has British fans dreaming she can add the 2024 Wimbledon title to her 2021 US Open crown, while American Ben Shelton is following in his father’s footsteps. Men’s world number 1 Jannik Sinner also aims to reach the quarter-finals today. We look at three fourth-round matches to watch on the seventh day of action at the All England Club:

Alcaraz looks to stop the music

Carlos Alcaraz is chasing a fourth Grand Slam title and attempting to become just the sixth man to win the French Open and Wimbledon back-to-back.

The Spanish world number three twice trailed by a set before defeating Frances Tiafoe in the third round.

“I realise that I’m good player in the fifth set. I push the opponent just to be at his 100% physically and mentally, and play at his 100%. Sometimes for the other player it is difficult to keep at this kind of intensity in a fifth set,” said Alcaraz.

Humbert is in the last 16 for the second time, five years after also reaching the same stage.

Away from the courts, the left-handed French number one can be found playing the piano, a passion since he was five years old.

“I love music. I play a little bit of electric guitar, but I’m better at piano,” he said

“When you play piano, you are only with you. It’s great to have the time to be alone, to enjoy. In tennis, it’s the opposite.”

Raducanu turns back clock

Three years after her breakthrough summer when a run to the last 16 at Wimbledon was followed by an historic US Open title, Emma Raducanu is making headlines again.

The British star, now ranked 135 after a depressing run of injuries, indifferent form and questionable coaching changes, finds herself with a potentially clear run to the semi-finals.

On Sunday, the 21-year-old faces Lulu Sun, the first New Zealand woman in the fourth round since 1959.

If she gets through that, a quarter-final date with either Paula Badosa or Donna Vekic awaits.

Raducanu’s win over Maria Sakkari on Friday was just her second over a top 10 player — both have come in the last two weeks.

“I’m just trying to cherish every moment I have here,” said Raducanu.

The 23-year-old Sun, a 123rd-ranked qualifier, had only played and lost one Grand Slam match before this Wimbledon.

She is guaranteed to earn at least $340,000 for her efforts — more than she has made in her entire career so far.

Sun will also be headline news in her sleepy home town of Te Anau which she described as having “more sheep and deer than people”.

Family guy Shelton

Ben Shelton has made Wimbledon a family affair, reaching the fourth round 30 years after his father Bryan made the same stage.

“We’re back, big dog,” the 21-year-old American told his dad after seeing off Denis Shapovalov in the third round.

Back in 1994, Bryan Shelton stunned former champion Michael Stich in the first round before eventually being knocked out by Sweden’s Christian Bergstrom.

On Sunday, the 14th-ranked Shelton takes on world number one and Australian Open champion Jannik Sinner for a place in the quarter-finals.

Shelton defeated the Italian in their first meeting at Shanghai in 2023 before Sinner came out on top in Vienna later that season and at Indian Wells earlier this year.

Jannik Sinner overcame a mid-match wobble to see off the challenge of Germany’s Yannick Hanfmann in his Wimbledon opener on Monday but said he would have to raise his game. The Italian world number won 6-3, 6-4, 3-6, 6-3 in just under three hours on No. 1 Court to set up a match against 2021 Wimbledon finalist and compatriot Matteo Berrettini. “He played really well, he was serving well, I missed a couple of shots,” said Sinner. “First-round matches are never easy and in the next round I have to raise my level.

“I have a day off and then I need to get my rhythm.”

Sinner appeared on course for a straightforward victory against his 110th-ranked opponent after taking the first two sets.

But Hanfmann raced into a 4-0 lead in the third set, sealing it 6-3 before the roof was closed on the court.

Sinner, who won his first Grand Slam at the Australian Open earlier this year, regrouped, outbattling his opponent to break in the fourth game of the fourth set.

The 22-year-old, a semi-finalist at Wimbledon last year, punched a backhand past his opponent on his second match point to claim victory.

He hit a total of 47 winners against 30 unforced errors.

Sinner was asked during his on-court interview what it was like to play the tournament as the newly installed world number one.

“First of all it’s a huge privilege and honour to be in that position, and there’s no better place to play as a world number one,” he said.

“It’s an amazing feeling but every match starts with 0-0 and every opponent wants to win, as I do. All matches are a very high level, which all of you want to see.”

‘Heartbroken’

Two-time Wimbledon semi-finalist Sabalenka, ranked third in the world, is one of eight players to have pulled out since the draw was made.

She had admitted she was not 100 percent fit after suffering a shoulder injury at the Berlin Open.

“Heartbroken to have to tell you all that I won’t be able to play the Championships this year,” wrote 26-year-old Sabalenka on X.

China’s world number eight Zheng Qinwen, the Australian Open runner-up, was the biggest casualty of the day, losing in the first round for a second successive year.

Zheng went down 4-6, 6-2, 6-4 to New Zealand qualifier Lulu Sun, who celebrated her first Grand Slam match win.

Both Sabalenka and Zheng were potential semi-final opponents for US Open champion and second-ranked Coco Gauff, who eased past compatriot Caroline Dolehide 6-1, 6-2.

Former world number one Naomi Osaka claimed her first win at Wimbledon since 2018 when she recovered from a break down in the final set to defeat Diane Parry of France 6-1, 1-6, 6-4.

Four-time Grand Slam title winner Osaka fired 34 winners in the tie, which was decided when Parry served up her 10th double fault.

Victory was extra special for Osaka as it comes a day before her daughter Shai celebrates her first birthday.

“It feels like a dream because I haven’t played here many times,” said Osaka, whose last appearance at the All England Club was in 2019, when she exited in the first round.

Russian men’s fifth seed Daniil Medvedev, a semi-finalist last year, hit 16 aces in his 6-3, 6-4, 6-2 win over Aleksandar Kovacevic of the United States.

Reigning champion Iga Swiatek celebrated her 23rd birthday by brushing aside Marie Bouzkova to reach the French Open last 16 on Friday. Swiatek had to save a match point to avoid an upset defeat by fellow four-time Grand Slam champion Naomi Osaka in a second-round thriller, but she was never in trouble during a 6-4, 6-2 win over Czech Bouzkova. The world number one is a red-hot favourite to lift the Coupe Suzanne Lenglen for a third straight year and become only the fourth woman to win four Roland Garros titles in the Open era.

She was much closer to her best form on Friday, hitting 34 winners and making only 19 unforced errors.

Swiatek will play Russia’s Anastasia Potapova in the next round on Sunday.

The Polish star’s win-loss record at the tournament stands at 32-2 and she has never failed to reach the second week.

Earlier on Friday, Jannik Sinner continued his serene progress at the French Open with a straight-sets victory over Russian Pavel Kotov in the third round.

The Australian Open champion, who will usurp Novak Djokovic as world number one if he reaches the final at Roland Garros, struck 36 winners and saved the only break point he faced in a 6-4, 6-4, 6-4 win.

Sinner will next take on either home hope Corentin Moutet or Austrian Sebastian Ofner for a place in the quarter-finals.

The Italian, who has only lost two matches so far this year, is yet to drop a set in the tournament.

Coco Gauff also eased into the second week for a fourth straight year. Gauff held off a late fightback from Australian Open semi-finalist Dayana Yastremska to win 6-2, 6-4 in the first match of the day on Court Philippe Chatrier.

The reigning US Open champion has an excellent record at Roland Garros, having previously reached two quarter-finals and the 2022 final which she lost to Swiatek.

The 20-year-old failed to serve out the match when leading 5-2 in the second set, but saved three break points in the 10th game before getting over the line.

File image of Jannik Sinner© AFP