Wimbledon R4 previews and predictions: Alcaraz vs. Berrettini, Tsitsipas vs. Eubanks

Familiar foes Carlos Alcaraz and Matteo Berrettini will face each other again on Monday, this time in the Wimbledon fourth round. A quarterfinal spot is also on the line for Stefanos Tsitsipas and Chris Eubanks.

(1) Carlos Alcaraz vs. Matteo Berrettini

Just a week ago, Berrettini vs. an opponent ranked No. 1 in the world being considered a blockbuster matchup at any point throughout the remainder of the season would have been a nonsensical thought. Suddenly, however, that is exactly the case on Monday at Wimbledon. Three improbable wins into his tournament, Berrettini is invoking memories of his former self heading into a fourth-round showdown with Alcaraz. The 2021 Wimbledon runner-up had been just 7-7 this season (0-1 on grass), but from completely out of nowhere he has defeated Lorenzo Sonego, Alex de Minaur, and Alexander Zverev while losing just a single set.

With his confidence soaring, Berrettini can also be encouraged by his previous results against Alcaraz. All three of their encounters have required final sets, with Alcaraz leading the head-to-head series 2-1 thanks in part to a 6-2, 7-6(3), 4-6, 2-6, 7-6(5) victory at the 2022 Australian Open. Of course, Berrettini has never faced this top-ranked, slam-winning version of Alcaraz. The reigning U.S. Open champion is back in the fourth round at the All-England Club following defeats of Jeremy Chardy, Alexandre Muller, and Nicolas Jarry, also dropping one set along the way (he beat Jarry 6-3, 6-7(6), 6-3, 7-5 on Saturday). Alcaraz clear isn’t invincible and with Berrettini on fire and so far unbroken at this tournament, it’s a dangerous match for the No. 1 seed. Yet another deciding set between these two competitors would not be surprising in the least.

Pick: Alcaraz in 5

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Chris Eubanks vs. (5) Stefanos Tsitsipas

Five unseeded men reached the Wimbledon fourth round and although Eubanks’ run is a surprise, it’s definitely not the most unexpected of the quintet. The 6’7” American was mostly a stranger to the ATP level prior to this year and came into it at No. 123 in the rankings, but he broke into the top 100 with a quarterfinal performance at the Miami Open and that seems to have put him in blastoff mode. Eubanks won his first title in Mallorca and so far at Wimbledon the former Georgia Tech standout and No. 43 player in the world has knocked off Thiago Monteiro, Cameron Norrie, and Christopher O’Connell.

Up next for Eubanks is a first-ever meeting with Tsitsipas, who is also a somewhat surprising second-week performer. The fifth-ranked Greek was 1-3 in three warmup tournaments on grass and got a tough draw in London, too, but his first week featured wins over Dominic Thiem (in a fifth-set tiebreaker), Andy Murray (in five), and Laslo Djere (in four). Tsitsipas is vulnerable right now and always has been on grass, so Eubanks is in with a chance. But just as he was against Thiem and Murray, Tsitsipas will likely be the better player in the pressure-packed moments. 

Pick: Tsitsipas in 5

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