Swashbuckling Alcaraz is moving through the gears at Wimbledon

By James Toney at Wimbledon

Chazball is back at the All England Club and it's just as swashbuckling as ever.

We know Carlos Alcaraz - his friends call him Charly - has the all-court all-round game to become his sport's next generational talent.

Aggressive from the baseline, with a potent forehand that repeatedly leaves flailing rivals flatfooted, there is a reason why Novak Djokovic labelled him the perfect fusion of the tennis big three, who have dominated here for so long.

These early rounds at the All England Club can be perfunctory affairs, winning a Slam means seven matches in two weeks and conserving energy is key to success at the business end. It's nice being made to work but you don't want to sweat too hard.

However, there were still plenty of glimpses of the ingenuity, grit and flair Alcaraz will need for the bigger challenges ahead, as he eased past Australia's Aleksandar Vukic 7-6 6-2 6-2.

"I feel that I'm getting better and better every day," said Alcaraz, who will now face American 29th seed Frances Tiafoe, who he defeated in the semi-finals en route to his US Open win in 2022.

"Everything is improving, my serves and returns were not great in the first round but I was really happy with them.

"I'm moving better, feeling more comfortable on the grass and I'm happy. I'm focussing a lot on keeping calm in tough situations, that's how you win.

"I'm constantly trying to change things to get better, not just my tennis but off court too. I'm going to bed early, eating well and trying not to use my phone as much, which has been difficult for me. I'm trying to do everything that I can do to be better on the court."

Mutual respect, as opposed to hostile loathing, has become the default position on the ATP and WTA Tours, the days of the contentious and embittered rivalries Connors, McEnroe and others seemingly consigned to history.

Alcaraz is known as a friend to all on tour, the Spaniard's peers all heaping praise on his off-court demeanour that hasn't changed with his rapid rise up the rankings and three Grand Slam titles.

Indeed, it's hard to find a player with a bad word to say about him. Compatriot Roberto Carballes Baena describes him as 'a 10 out of 10 guy', Argentina's Facundo Bagnis claims he's an even better person than he is a tennis player, while Tiafoe is another member of the Alcaraz fan club.

"I have a really good relationship with a lot of players behind the scenes, that is really important to me," he added.

"But once you step on the court, they're not friends. You have to be on your own, focus on yourself, and try to beat him. That's how tennis works.

"Frances is a great player and a great person as well. He always smiles. He always seems like he's enjoying his time on the court, off the court as well, it's pretty impressive."

It wasn't such easy work for fifth seed Daniil Medvedev, who was stretched by France's Alexandre Muller before progressing 6-7 7-6 6-4 7-5 in a match were a couple of points could have shifted the result in the other direction.

Norway's Casper Ruud - a three-time Grand Slam finalist - was seeded eight but he's only twice reached the second round in four appearances here and struggled again as Italy's Fabio Fognini reached the third round for the first time in three years at the Norwegian's expense.

"I'm not sitting here super disappointed," said Ruud, whose focus is very much on the Olympics at Roland Garros, where he has enjoyed his greatest success.

"I'm disappointed that I lost, but I guess I kind of know my abilities on this surface and I'm trying to be realistic.

"I just find it very difficult. I find it fun as a challenge, and I try my best every year and I haven't given up on it yet. It's just really tough for me, I have no confidence on grass.

"I'm going to keep coming back hopefully every year and try to improve and do better."