Defending Wimbledon champion Carlos Alcaraz sent sent a heartwarming message to British qualifier Oliver Tarvet after his 6-1, 6-4, 6-4 victory - but the Spaniard was made to work.
The world number two extended his remarkable winning streak to 20 consecutive tour victories, though the scoreline reflects somewhat harshly on the spirited world number 733.
Alcaraz sealed victory with an unreturnable serve down the T after Tarvet netted a forehand to offer up match points.
The Spaniard now awaits the winner of Felix Auger-Aliassime and Jan-Lennard Struff in the next round as he continues his pursuit of a third Wimbledon crown.
Carlos Alcaraz beat Oliver Tarvet in straight sets, but the victory was anything but comfortable
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Despite the comprehensive defeat, Tarvet earned widespread admiration for his Centre Court debut performance.
The British qualifier, playing just his second tour-level match, demonstrated impressive composure and skill against the defending champion.
The pair shared a warm embrace at the net following the match, with Alcaraz offering words of encouragement to his opponent with a heartwarming message.
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The pair had shared a warm embrace at the net following Oliver Tarvet's impressive performance
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"First of all I have to give big praise to Oliver, his second match on the tour, I just loved his game to be honest, the level he played in his first match on Centre Court, I know that is really difficult," Alcaraz said.
"I found the right way, I'm trying to enjoy every match, it doesn't matter if I'm winning or losing.
"That's the key in the last two or three months to my consecutive winning streak.
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"I'm just trying to keep it going and keep enjoying, playing in this tournament and this court, just trying to keep going forward is a gift so I'm making the most of my time here."
The defending champion expressed gratitude for the respectful reception from the Centre Court crowd, despite facing a British opponent.
He added: "Today playing against someone from here, playing at home, it's not easy but once again, they were really respectful to me, to the match, to the opponent as well.
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Carlos Alcaraz is looking to win his third consecutive Wimbledon
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"After the first round, I know it's not personal.
"I'm just really grateful for the support I am receiving here."
The Spaniard concluded by praising the atmosphere, saying: "I love playing in this atmosphere, on this court, once again I enjoyed it so much."
With four of the top-10 ranked players already knocked out, Alcaraz will continue to take confidence from his opening two victories.
His major competitors, Jannik Sinner, Novak Djokovic and Jack Draper remain in the tournament, although they are all yet to play their second-round tie.
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