England defender Lotte Wubben-Moy is convinced the Lionesses are yet to test the limits of their true potential as they dare to dream of a maiden World Cup title.

The European champions begin their global mission against Haiti in Brisbane on July 22 before taking on Denmark and China to conclude the group stage.

With the July 31 one-year anniversary of her side’s Euro 2022 Wembley triumph fast approaching, Wubben-Moy and her team-mates are ready to consign that victory to the history books and focus on their next chapter.

“In terms of preparation I think it is a Euros but then a level up,” the 24-year-old said during a training session on Queensland’s Sunshine Coast.

“The focus, the desire, the intensity, I think it’s all taken a step up and that’s what I’d expect really.

“We’ve come off the back of a Euros, we’ve won that, and it’s not a case of settling on that, it’s ‘ok, what’s next? how much more can we push?’ because I don’t think this team knows how far we can go really and that’s quite a nice place to be in because in that sense you can dream and always be excited about what’s next.”

England arrived in Australia, tournament co-hosts alongside New Zealand, on Friday and will train at the Sunshine Coast Stadium until they make their way to Brisbane ahead of their opener.

While several Lionesses have praised the hosts for making them feel at home in such a short period of time, there are some unquestionable differences between this World Cup and last summer’s Euros in England – things like the kangaroos roaming the grounds of the team hotel.

Wubben-Moy continued: “From the food room you can look out onto the water, and there are these like mad, massive blue fish, similar to the colour of the kit actually, so there’s going to be plenty of wildlife that we see. Hopefully none of the scary ones, because I think quite a few people are scared of spiders and snakes.

“I don’t mind spiders but snakes, nah, no, not having it. Oh, the thought of it. So hopefully we don’t encounter any of them.”

While a combination of retirements and injuries will force Sarina Wiegman to debut a new-look line-up from the identical one she fielded for every match last summer, Wubben-Moy is less likely to be among her head coach’s top choices to start at the back.

Millie Bright, named captain in place of the injured Leah Williamson, looks set to return after recovering from the knee injury that kept her out of the Lionesses’ pre-departure goalless draw with Portugal, while stalwarts Lucy Bronze and Alex Greenwood will feature in their third consecutive World Cups.

Jess Carter and Esme Morgan both earned starting places in that friendly, while Wubben-Moy remained on the bench.

However she is employed this tournament, the Arsenal defender vowed she will make the most of the experience.

She added: “I think it’s difficult, a player is always going to want to play as much as possible.

“I guess I’m not naive to the fact that the minutes I’ve got this year with England haven’t been massive, so my focus on this tournament is to enjoy it, gain the most out of it and actually ideally give the most of myself.

“I’ve spoken a lot about consistency and being the best person that I can be for my team-mates, whether that’s on the pitch or off the pitch, and I hold myself to high standards in general, so that’s definitely something that I see as a goal for the tournament, regardless of whether I get minutes or not.”

Ange Postecoglou is excited about the role “leader” James Maddison will play in helping implement his style of football at Tottenham.

Maddison completed a transfer worth £40million plus add-ons to Spurs last month after five years with Leicester where he won the FA Cup and scored 55 goals in 203 appearances.

England midfielder Maddison had been tracked by Tottenham since he was a teenager at Coventry and officially begins work with the club on Wednesday when the next group of international players, including Harry Kane, return.

His new boss feels the playmaker will be key to the sizable task of getting a squad accustomed to pragmatic, counter-attacking football now in sync with the aggressive, possession-based style set to be used by the Australian.

Postecoglou said: “Really excited to get James as part of the group.

“Any manager will tell you that part of the key to being a dominant team is having multiple attacking threats and having a midfielder who can score and create goals.

“They’re not easy to come by. He’s proven himself at that level in the last few years as somebody who can do that.

“When you look at Tottenham the last few years, they’ve been really reliant on the front three to get their goals.

“I thought it was a really good fit for us to look for a player like James – even better if we could get James, so we ended up getting James.

“I was really pleased and the fact we did it early was great because it allows him to have a break. He’s had the birth of twins so I don’t know what shape he’ll be in when he gets here!

“But once we get him in, it means he can come on the tour with us and I know he’s really excited about joining the group.

“He obviously knows a few of the lads and I think he’s in a stage of his career where it feels like he can be a leader, which is great as well because we need players who want to embrace that responsibility within this group.

“Whether it’s their first year in or they’ve been here for ages, we’re going to need leadership on the field and he feels like he can be a player who does that.”

Postecoglou held his first press conference since switching Celtic for Spurs on Monday and struck the right chord between confidence alongside realism.

Tottenham finished eighth in the Premier League last season – using three different head coaches – but more significantly have spent the last four years playing counter-attacking football.

Gradually it wore down a disgruntled fanbase impatient for success with no trophy since 2008 and while a return to an aggressive, front-foot style will be welcomed, Postecoglou is aware rebooting a squad used to a certain way will be no mean feat.

He added: “Absolutely that will be the biggest challenge and that’s what I’m concentrating on at the moment.

“We don’t have the whole group here but the guys we have, it’s about changing that mindset and changing the way the players see the game and maybe their roles within in.

“Because even with the positions they play, there’s going to be adjustments in how I want them to do things. Again, I love that. That’s why I’m here.

“If it was just me rolling up and they’re going out there, doing their thing, it wouldn’t excite me. That’s part of the challenge – it will be a shift from the way the club has played for three or four years.

“In terms of how quickly the players embrace that, the new players coming in will help. That’s the part I have control over, whether that’s James Maddison or Guglielmo (Vicario) in goal.

“They’re players who fit in the direction I want to go in, which helps. Then it’s about seeing with the existing group how many of them are able to adjust and embrace the way we’re going to play.”

The 154th Open Championship will be played at Royal Birkdale in 2026, the R&A have announced.

The Southport venue has hosted the Open on 10 previous occasions, most recently in 2017 when Jordan Spieth edged out fellow American Matt Kuchar to lift the Claret Jug.

Three shots clear of Kuchar heading into the final round, Spieth was a shot behind after his fifth bogey of the day on the 13th, which involved a 20-minute ruling and playing his third shot from the practice ground.

But the former Masters and US Open champion amazingly played the next four holes in five under par to card a remarkable closing 69 and finish three shots clear of the unfortunate Kuchar.

The victory gave Spieth the third leg of a career grand slam and saw him join the likes of Peter Thomson, Arnold Palmer, Tom Watson and Padraig Harrington in winning the Open at Royal Birkdale.

R&A chief executive Martin Slumbers said: “Royal Birkdale is a world-class championship venue and its outstanding links will once again provide the world’s best men’s professional golfers with a tough but fair test of their talents and capabilities as they compete for the Claret Jug.

“It has produced many memorable moments that are woven into the story of this historic Championship, including a dramatic final round in 2017 when Jordan Spieth won for the first time.

“We look forward to another special occasion in three years and it will be fascinating to see which player will emerge to join a list of renowned Champion Golfers to have won at Royal Birkdale.”

The 2026 Open will be staged from July 16-19.

This year’s Open gets under way at Royal Liverpool next week, with Royal Troon hosting in 2024 and Royal Portrush in 2025.

England have moved early to throw their backing behind Jonny Bairstow, retaining the wicketkeeper for next week’s fourth Ashes Test at Emirates Old Trafford.

The selectors have resisted the temptation to send a mid-series call out to Surrey’s Ben Foakes, with Bairstow retained as the only gloveman in an unchanged 14-man squad.

The Yorkshireman has endured a difficult series behind the stumps, missing eight chances of varying difficulty in the first three games, leading to calls for Foakes to be restored.

But England have nipped such talk in the bud at the earliest opportunity by naming the same group for next Wednesday’s clash in Manchester, another must-win for the hosts who are 2-1 down with two to play following their victory over Australia at Headingley.

Foakes has repeatedly been hailed as the best wicketkeeper in the world by captain Ben Stokes, but the 30-year-old was the odd man out at the start of the summer when Bairstow’s return to fitness following a badly broken leg and the rise of Harry Brook left England with a dilemma.

Bairstow’s movement has not looked as sharp since returning from injury, hardly any surprise after he sustained three separate fractures in his left leg, ligament damage and a dislocated ankle, but he retains the backing of a hierarchy who like to stick to their guns when it comes to personnel.

He has only fired once with the bat in the current Ashes series, making a run-a-ball 78 on the first day of the series, but he has shown before just how dangerous he can be when the mood is with him.

He was England’s Test player of the year in 2022, setting the tone for the ‘Bazball’ era with four exhilarating hundreds last summer. Head coach Brendon McCullum and Stokes both promised his place would be kept open when he suffered his freak accident on a golf course and have been as good as their word.

He will now be hoping to pay that faith back at Old Trafford. Ollie Robinson also takes his place in the 14 despite back spasms rendering him a peripheral figure in the previous match.

Robinson will join up with the side and is being monitored by the medical team, but is favourite to make way for the return of record wicket-taker James Anderson at his home ground.

Caster Semenya was discriminated against by rules which forced her to lower her testosterone levels in order to continue competing, according to a judgement from the European Court of Human Rights.

The 32-year-old South African, a two-time 800 metres Olympic champion, was legally identified as female at birth but has a condition which means her body naturally produces higher levels of testosterone than women without the condition.

She has been unable to compete at her favoured distance since 2019, following the introduction of limits on testosterone levels for female athletes which would have forced her to use medication.

Previous legal challenges to the Court of Arbitration for Sport and the Swiss Federal Supreme Court were rejected, but the ECHR found her human rights had been violated.

World Athletics said in response to the judgement that it believes its rules on athletes with differences of sexual development (DSD) are “necessary, reasonable and proportionate” to protect fair competition in the female category. The international federation said it would encourage the Swiss state – which is the respondent in the ECHR case rather than World Athletics – to refer the matter to the Grand Chamber of the ECHR for a final judgement.

A release issued by the court on Tuesday morning stated: “The Court found in particular that the applicant had not been afforded sufficient institutional and procedural safeguards in Switzerland to allow her to have her complaints examined effectively, especially since her complaints concerned substantiated and credible claims of discrimination as a result of her increased testosterone level caused by differences of sex development (DSD).”

Tuesday’s ECHR decision was a majority decision – with four of the seven chamber members finding Semenya’s rights had been violated.

A legal summary of the case said Article 14 of the European Convention on Human Rights, which relates to discrimination, had been violated, along with Article 13 which related to the absence of effective remedies to tackle that discrimination.

World Athletics’ statement read: “World Athletics notes the judgment of the deeply divided Chamber of the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR).

“We remain of the view that the DSD regulations are a necessary, reasonable and proportionate means of protecting fair competition in the female category as the Court of Arbitration for Sport and Swiss Federal Tribunal both found, after a detailed and expert assessment of the evidence.

“The case was filed against the state of Switzerland, rather than World Athletics.

“We will liaise with the Swiss Government on the next steps and, given the strong dissenting views in the decision, we will be encouraging them to seek referral of the case to the ECHR Grand Chamber for a final and definitive decision.

“In the meantime, the current DSD regulations, approved by the World Athletics Council in March 2023, will remain in place.”

Semenya’s legal team have been contacted for comment.

Baheer could be heading to Goodwood for the Molecomb Stakes after his eyecatching victory at Newbury last week.

The Richard Hannon-trained two-year-old stepped up on his debut when runner-up to shock 150-1 winner Zoulu Chief over the same six-furlong course and distance, taking a novice by a stylish two and a half lengths.

A son of Mehmas, he travelled strongly and was eased before the finish, and jockey Pat Dobbs feels he could be poised to make his mark in better company in the near future.

“His work in the spring was brilliant, but he was gelded because he was getting a little bit out of control,” said Dobbs.

“So that takes him out of a lot of the good races. He’s only won a maiden, but he travels very good and feels like a five-furlong horse.”

Owned by Al Shaqab Racing, Baheer appreciated the fast ground and Dobbs feels only inexperience and immaturity is holding him back.

He added: “There is talk about the Molecomb, but they might put him in a nursery to see what mark he gets first. I think it might possibly be a bit early for him to be a Molecomb horse.

“Fast ground is very important to him – he doesn’t bend his knees a lot. He got beat obviously the first time on soft ground, which was a shock because we couldn’t see him getting beat.

“He is a good horse, but whether you’ll see it in his next run or a couple of runs later, I’m not sure. He has a mind of his own, but a lot of ability – more or less like the boss!” he laughed.

Caster Semenya was discriminated against by rules which forced her to lower her testosterone levels in order to continue competing, according to a judgement from the European Court of Human Rights.

The 32-year-old, a two-time 800 metres Olympic champion, was legally identified as female at birth but has a condition which means her body naturally produces higher levels of testosterone than women without the condition.

She has been unable to compete at her favoured distance since 2019, following the introduction of limits on testosterone levels for female athletes which would have forced her to use medication.

Previous legal challenges to the Court of Arbitration for Sport and the Swiss Federal Supreme Court were rejected, but the ECHR found her human rights had been violated.

A release issued by the court stated: “The Court found in particular that the applicant had not been afforded sufficient institutional and procedural safeguards in Switzerland to allow her to have her complaints examined effectively, especially since her complaints concerned substantiated and credible claims of discrimination as a result of her increased testosterone level caused by differences of sex development (DSD).”

A legal summary of the case said Article 14 of the European Convention on Human Rights, which relates to discrimination, had been violated, along with Article 13 which related to the absence of effective remedies to tackle that discrimination.

Like father, like son.

Toronto Blue Jays slugger Vladimir Guerrero Jr. won Major League Baseball's 2023 All-Star Home Run Derby Monday at Seattle's T-Mobile Park, accomplishing the feat his Hall of Fame father achieved 16 years earlier.

Guerrero Jr. defeated Tampa Bay Rays outfielder Randy Arozarena, 25-23, in the final round to become the first Blue Jays player to be crowned Home Run Derby champion. He lost to New York Mets star Pete Alonso in the 2019 final in Cleveland despite finishing the event with a record 91 homers.

Vladimir Guerrero Sr. won the 2007 title in San Francisco as a member of the Los Angeles Angels. The Guerreros are the only father-son duo to win the event.

The younger Guerrero's 25 homers in the final round were a Derby record, eclipsing the 23 Alonso hit when winning the first of two straight titles in 2019.

Alonso's bid to join Seattle Mariners legend Ken Griffey Jr. as the only three-time champion ended early. The first baseman was ousted in the opening round by crowd favourite Julio Rodriguez, who blasted 41 homers at his home park to set a Home Run Derby record for the most in a single round. Alonso finished with 21.

Guerrero Jr. had held the previous single-round record of 40 during his 2019 appearance. 

Rodriguez, who lost to current San Diego Padres outfielder Juan Soto in last year's final at Los Angeles' Dodger Stadium, managed under half that total in the second round as Guerrero defeated the Mariners standout, 21-20, to advance.

Guerrero reached the second round by easily outdistancing Dodgers outfielder Mookie Betts by a 26-11 count.

Arozarena began the festivities with a 24-17 victory over fellow Cuban and Texas Rangers star Adolis Garcia, then hit 35 homers in the second round to eliminate top-seeded Luis Robert of the Chicago White Sox. Robert edged Baltimore Orioles catcher Adley Rutschman, 28-27, in the first round but slipped to 22 in the second.

Arozarena's 82 homers for the night were the second most in Home Run Derby history, behind only Guerrero's 2019 performance. Rodriguez totalled 81 in last year's edition.

Wimbledon heads towards the business end as the quarter-finals get under way on Tuesday.

World number one Iga Swiatek opens Centre Court with her highly-anticipated clash with Elina Svitolina while Novak Djokovic looks to extend his SW19 invincibility against Andrey Rublev.

Here, the PA news agency unpacks day nine.

A post shared by Elina Monfils (@elisvitolina)

The Ukrainian capped a brilliant first week with that dramatic victory over Victoria Azarenka to make it back-to-back quarter-finals at grand slams following the birth of her first child.

How much energy is left in the tank remains to be seen and her resolve will be tested against Swiatek, who is in the last-eight for the first time in SW19.

She saved match points against Belinda Bencic to get there and she will be eyeing more domination following her recent win at the French Open.

Jessica Pegula has been something of a footnote in this year’s tournament so far, having sailed through to the last-eight without much trouble.

But the number four seed might have a few people worried as she has dropped just one set on her way to another grand slam quarter-final – her fifth in the last seven.

The 29-year-old has shown remarkable consistency over the last 18 months and Marketa Vondrousova stands in her way of a first grand slam semi-final.

After four wins for British players in the girls’ tournament on Monday it is the boys’ turn on Tuesday, with five hopefuls due to play.

Viktor Frydrych, Henry Searle, Freddy Blaydes, Henry Jefferson and Charlie Robertson are all in second-round action as we get a glimpse into the next generation of home players.

There are also plenty of girls and boys in doubles action as they enjoy their moment on home soil.

Centre Court
Iga Swiatek v Elina Svitolina
Andrey Rublev v Novak Djokovic

Court One
Jessica Pegula v Marketa Vondrousova
Jannik Sinner v Roman Safiullin
Clijsters/Hingis v Schiavone/Vinci

Staying warm with a risk of scattered showers

The San Antonio Spurs have seen enough from Victor Wembanyama in Las Vegas.

Wembanyama, the much-hyped No. 1 overall pick from last month’s draft, will not play in any more Summer League games this season, multiple media outlets reported Monday.

The news comes a day after the 19-year-old scored 23 points and grabbed 12 rebounds in his second and final Summer League game.

In 54 minutes of Summer League action, Wembanyama totalled 36 points, 20 rebounds, three assists and eight blocks while shooting 41 percent from the field.

After playing into June in the French League playoffs, Wembanyama was never expected to play every game for the Spurs in Las Vegas and now has an opportunity to reset before looking towards his rookie NBA season.

“I’m going to sit down with the Spurs to know what the next months are going to be like,” Wembanyama said after Sunday’s game. “When to go on vacation, when to start back working out, where I’m going to practice, in San Antonio or somewhere else.

“I just know I’ve got two to three months - two to three great months - that are coming and they’re going to change my life.”

Wembanyama’s debut Friday garnered a sell-out crowd and one of the largest U.S. television ratings in Summer League history. Sunday’s encore was a bit more modest but still drew far more attention than a typical summer game.

NBA greats Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and Jerry West were among those who watched Wembanyama’s first NBA exhibitions.

Touted by some as the best NBA prospect since LeBron James entered the league in 2003, Wembanyama has experienced a month-long whirlwind of media attention since travelling to the United States. The teenager has responded to the spotlight like a seasoned veteran, thus far, and admitted that he would rather be on the hardwood than in front of microphones.

“In the past month, I think basketball wasn’t even 50 percent of my schedule,” Wembanyama said. “I can’t stand it. I know it’s a special moment in my life, but I’m glad it’s over. Honestly. I just want to hoop. I just want to work out, lift because this is my life. Obviously, every first pick is going to go through this. And it just makes me better for the future.”

Wembanyama’s apparent humility and workmanlike attitude do not fit well with flashy Las Vegas, but they should pair perfectly with Hall of Fame coach Gregg Popovich, who signed a new five-year, $80million contract over the weekend, keeping him in San Antonio until he is 79 years old.

“There’s something great going on, starting,” Wembanyama said of the upcoming season. “We kind of knew it was going to happen, but now it’s, ‘Let’s get it rolling. We can get started now.’”

MLB’s All-Star Game starting pitches were announced Monday, with one veteran of the Midsummer Classic and one first-timer getting the nod.

New York Yankees ace Gerrit Cole, a six-time All-Star, will start for the American League, while rookie honouree Zac Gallen of the Arizona Diamondbacks will take the bump for the National League.

Cole will become the 11th different Yankees pitcher to start the All-Star Game and the first since Roger Clemens in 2001. He finished his first half with a 9-2 record, a 2.85 ERA and 123 strikeouts in 117 innings.

At 11-3, Gallen is tied for the Major League lead in wins at the break and has a 3.04 ERA and 125 strikeouts in 118 1/3 innings. Gallen’s 1.05 WHIP leads all qualified starters in the NL.

Curt Schilling’s All-Star start in 2002 was the last by a Diamondbacks pitcher, which followed a two-year run by teammate Randy Johnson in 2000 and 2001.

The selections were made Monday by AL manager Dusty Baker and NL manager Rob Thompson ahead of Tuesday’s All-Star Game.

“It’s been a whirlwind really,” the 27-year-old Gallen said. “This is something I dreamed of as a kid, so for it to come to fruition is everything and more.”

While neither starter is expected to throw very many pitches, Cole will take ball on two days’ rest after going 7 1/3 innings in a win over the Chicago Cubs on Saturday.

“It's always something I wanted to do,” Cole said. “I feel like I’m physically able to do it.”

Baker was not inclined to interfere with Cole accomplishing his goal of starting in the All-Star Game.

“Hey, if a man like Gerrit Cole wants to pitch, I’ll let him pitch,” Baker.

Novak Djokovic and Carlos Alcaraz remain on collision course for a final showdown following a gripping day at Wimbledon.

Defending champion Djokovic returned to complete his delayed quarter-final with Hubert Hurkacz before world number one Alcaraz registered a thrilling success over 2021 runner-up Matteo Berrettini.

Elsewhere, there was an early exit for world number five Stefanos Tsitsipas at the hands of Chris Eubanks, while last year’s finalist Ons Jabeur powered past two-time winner Petra Kvitova in the women’s draw.

Here, the PA news agency takes a look at how day eight unfolded.

Carlos Alcaraz passed another test to reach the last eight in SW19 for the first time.

Having been pushed to four sets by Nicolas Jarry in the third round, the Spaniard stylishly fought back from a set down to see off Matteo Berrettini 3-6 6-3 6-3 6-3.

It was a meeting of the last two Queen’s Club champions and undoubtedly a significant hurdle for Alcaraz, who is learning quickly on the surface and produced a very solid display.

He will next take on fellow 20-year-old Holger Rune in the first Wimbledon men’s singles quarter-final between players aged under 21 in the open era, with a potential mouthwatering finale against Djokovic very much on the cards.

Despite progressing, Djokovic called for Wimbledon to overhaul its scheduling and start play earlier on Centre Court following his drawn out victory over Hubert Hurkacz

The seven-time champion fell foul of the All England Club’s insistence on beginning matches at 1.30pm when his fourth-round match had to be suspended on Sunday night due to the council-imposed 11pm curfew.

The 36-year-old, who returned to finish off Hurkacz 7-6 (6) 7-6 (6) 5-7 6-4 on Monday afternoon, was unequivocal in his response when asked if matches should start earlier.

“I think so. I agree with that,” said the 23-time grand slam winner. “Obviously curfew is probably something that is much more difficult to change, I understand, because of the community and the residential area we are in.

“I think the matches could be pushed at least to start at 12pm. I think it would make a difference.”

Carlos Alcaraz passed another test to reach the quarter-finals at Wimbledon for the first time.

Having been pushed to four sets by Nicolas Jarry in the third round, the world number one had to fight back from a set down to see off former finalist Matteo Berrettini 3-6 6-3 6-3 6-3.

This was a meeting of the last two Queen’s Club champions and undoubtedly a significant hurdle for Alcaraz, who is learning quickly on the surface and produced a very solid display.

“I knew it was going to be really tough, Matteo is a great player, he made the final here on grass,” said Alcaraz.

“He’s playing great. It’s not easy after losing the first set. I knew I was going to have my chances. Something I’ve been working on is to stay focused and not lose my mind a little bit. That part I did great.

“It’s something that I really wanted. Last year I lost in the fourth round. I came here this year with that goal, first get into the quarter-finals and now I’m looking for more.

“My dream is to play a final here, to win the title one day. I hope I reach that dream this year but right now it’s great to be in the quarter-finals.”

Now he will take on fellow 20-year-old Holger Rune in the first Wimbledon men’s singles quarter-final between players aged under 21 in the open era.

Standing in the way of the young guns claiming the title, of course, is 36-year-old Novak Djokovic, who is now the only player left in the men’s draw to have previously reached a Wimbledon final.

Alcaraz remains the man most likely to deny him a record-equalling eighth Wimbledon title and 24th grand slam crown and there were plenty of the Spaniard’s crowd-pleasing tricks on show, including a winner threaded between umpire’s chair and net post that he celebrated from virtually in the stand.

He was second best in the opening set, though, as Berrettini dictated with his forehand, breaking the Alcaraz serve to lead 5-3.

The Italian, who missed Wimbledon last year with an ill-timed bout of coronavirus, has struggled this season with a recurring abdominal injury, saying after beating Alexander Zverev on Saturday that he had spent days crying in bed and arrived in London doubting he would be able to play.

He was aiming to emulate countryman Jannik Sinner, who defeated Alcaraz at the same stage 12 months ago and is through to the last eight again.

There was a concerning moment during the first point of the second set when Berrettini slipped and fell heavily, with Alcaraz coming to check on him, but the 27-year-old soon picked himself up.

Berrettini had not dropped serve once during his first three matches but the tide began to turn when a sloppy game at 1-2 saw him broken to love.

Alcaraz pushed for another break early in the third set and got it with an athletic, arching smash on his sixth chance as Berrettini was just unable to shake off the tenacious Spaniard.

Berrettini certainly had his moments but Alcaraz has so many weapons to choose from and he was wearing down the popular Italian.

At 2-2 in the fourth set, proceedings were briefly halted for the roof to be closed with darkness falling.

And Alcaraz wasted little time booking his spot in the last eight on the resumption, becoming the youngest man to do so here since Nick Kyrgios in 2014.