Tennis roundup: Alcaraz warming to grass as Wimbledon looms

LONDON, June 22

Top seed Carlos Alcaraz cruised into the quarterfinals of the Queen’s Club Championships after he beat Jiri Lehecka 6-2 6-3 today but third seed Taylor Fritz was knocked out by Adrian Mannarino.

Alcaraz is playing on grass for the first time this week since his fourth-round exit at Wimbledon last year and he is slowly getting to grips with the unfamiliar, faster surface. “I’m happy with the level I played today… I had a really solid match. I’m feeling really comfortable here on grass, getting experience and hours on grass,” world No. 2 Alcaraz said. “Your expectations change when you’re playing your first quarterfinal (on grass), I’m enjoying every single second and I go into the next round with confidence.”

Fritz’s preparations for Wimbledon took a hit when the American went down in straight sets to Mannarino, the Frenchman winning 6-4 7-6(7) to move into the quarterfinals.

Frances Tiafoe’s winning run on grass was ended by Sebastian Korda in an all-American second-round match.

Korda won 7-6(2) 6-3 to end the fourth-seeded Tiafoe’s bid to follow up his title in Stuttgart last week with another grasscourt trophy ahead of Wimbledon.

Korda will next play British No. 1 Cameron Norrie, who rallied to beat Jordan Thompson of Australia 4-6 6-3 6-2.

Holger Rune of Denmark is warming to grass, picking up his second straight win on the surface by dispatching Britain’s Ryan Peniston 6-3 6-4. The second-seeded Rune had never won on grass as a professional before this week.

Medvedev cruises

Halle: Daniil Medvedev continued building momentum after recent setbacks as he moved into the quarterfinals of the Halle Open, beating Laslo Djere 6-3 6-7(5) 6-3 at the grasscourt tournament.

Medvedev next faces Roberto Bautista Agut after the eighth-seeded Spaniard beat American Brandon Nakashima 7-5 7-6(2) in their second-round match. Chilean player Nicolas Jarry upset the second-seeded Stefanos Tsitsipas 7-6(7) 7-5 to set up a quarterfinals match against home favorite Alexander Zverev. The ninth-seeded German beat Denis Shapovalov 6-2 6-4. Agencies