Australian Open champion Aryna Sabalenka has made at least the semi-finals of all four Grand Slams and you don't do that without a strong mentality.

She puts her foot on the pedal in a must-win service game and motors to 5-5.

There's another roar - and this time it's one of triumph.

You wonder if she's finding her form just in time.

There we go, that is more like it from Carlos Alcaraz.

Two superb winners gets him to 15-40 on Muller's serve before the Frenchman finds a way back into it and forces deuce.

That's a terrific point from Aryna Sabalenka as she flays a service return out wide then caresses a fine drop into the open court to get Varvara Gracheva guessing.

The French opponent gets a lucky flick off the net to make it 15-15 and booms down an ace to regain control.

Sabalenka has the chance for 30-30 but is long with her backhand. It's an incorrect call from the line judge but goes unchallenged.

Gracheva closes out and needs one more game to knock out the second seed.

Carlos Alcaraz is slowly but surely getting there. He's lifting his level.

An unreturnable serve before a backhand finds the chalk.

That's followed up with a drop shot at the net and an unforced error from Alexandre Muller.

The top seed holds to 15 and Muller will serve to stay in the set.

Another skilful drop shot from Aryna Sabalenka suggests she is finally finding her feet as she brings up 40-0 on her serve.

She flaps a forehand return into the net on the next point but then has Varvara Gracheva backpedalling to clinch the game.

Four steady holds in a row for the world number two.

Michael Emons
BBC Sport at Wimbledon

It's a scorching hot day so no need to say Alcaraz is warming up, but he's starting to find this range after previously overcooking a number of forehands from the baseline and sending them long.

A break of serve, the first of the match, comes in game number seven to give the Spaniard control of the set.

It seems the Centre Court crowd haven't really got going yet.

There hasn't been any longer rallies for them to cheer on and top seed Carlos Alcaraz isn't up to his usual magic.

But he has found a way in the seventh game as he breaks Alexandre Muller with the Frenchman making a series of errors.

Michael Emons
BBC Sport at Wimbledon

Carlos Alcaraz played on Centre Court last year, but it was the venue for his last-16 loss against Jannik Sinner. We're at the halfway point of the opening set in this one and it's been half hour of very enjoyable tennis.

A rocket 135mph ace from Alcaraz, his first ace of the match, came in game six and if he can maintain that pace and power on his serve then he's going to be tough to stop.

If she can remain metronomic on her serve, Aryna Sabalenka can perhaps feel her way back into this match.

She holds to love, and finishes in style with a delicately clipped drop shot that breezes inches over the net cord.

Can she challenge Varvara Gracheva's serve? Confident hitting from the Frenchwoman get Sabalenka on the back foot and in a flash, she's lost the game.

Her unseeded opponent is not for moving at the moment.

We remain on serve after 30 minutes. A stronger service game from Alcaraz there.

Hmm, not the best game of tennis.

A lot of errors there, with the last two coming from Carlos Alcaraz to allow Alexandre Muller to hold to 15.

Michael Emons
BBC Sport at Wimbledon

We're only in game four, but that's a big hold of serve from Carlos Alcaraz, saving three break points.

Each time it came after he had sent a forehand from the baseline long and each time he dug himself out of trouble.

Muller will be thinking that was a golden chance that he could've taken. How he responds to that disappointment, we will soon find out.

Jess Anderson
BBC Sport at Wimbledon

Wow.

A huge roar of frustration from Sabalenka. She's not hitting her usual standards here for sure.

A bit of rhythm for Aryna Sabalenka off her serve with no double faults yet this set and two comfortable holds.

She's not making much headway off Varvara Gracheva's though, planting two returns into the net.

There is then a guttural cry as she sets up a chance from a second serve only to blaze waywardly wide of the tramlines.

Gracheva serenely sees out her hold.

Image source, Getty Images

Here's a reminder of where we're up to on day five at Wimbledon:

• Two-time Wimbledon champion Petra Kvitova beat Aliaksandra Sasnovich in straight sets, winning 6-2 6-2 to reach the third round.
• Ukraine's Marta Kostyuk progressed after opponent Paula Badosa was forced to retire from their second-round match.
• American Madison Keys is also into the third round after a straightforward 7-5 6-3 victory over qualifier Viktorija Golubic.
• In the men's draw, third seed Daniil Medvedev completed a 6-3 6-3 7-6 (7-5) victory over Adrian Mannarino after their match was suspended on Thursday.
• Danish sixth seed Holger Rune also progressed in straight sets, beating Spain's Roberto Carballes Baena 6-3 7-6 (7-3) 6-4.
• And in the men's doubles, Briton Lloyd Glasspool and French team-mate Nicolas Mahut reached the second round with a 6-4 7-6 (7-4) win over Andrey Golubev and Maxime Cressy.

Carlos Alcaraz finds a way to get through and holds. He hasn't hit his stride just yet.

A third break point comes and goes for Alexandre Muller and we're onto the fourth deuce of the game.

Two break points saved by Carlos Alcaraz. The first is an unforced error from the Frenchman and the second is with a thumping forehand winner.

Deuce.

Michael Emons
BBC Sport at Wimbledon

Image source, BBC Sport

Rain on the opening three days pushed the start of the doubles competitions back to Thursday and they are now in full swing with loads of doubles matches on the outside courts today.

There hasn’t been a Briton in a winning men’s doubles pairing since Jonathan Marray in 2012 but hopes are high for home glory this year, with British players in two of the top three seeds.

Neal Skupski and Wesley Koolhof of the Netherlands are the top seeds and second on court 17, while Briton Joe Salisbury and American team-mate Rajeev Ram, the third seeds, are fourth on court 18.

Not since Angela Buxton in 1956 has there been British representation in the winning women’s doubles team. The all-British pairing of Harriet Dart and Heather Watson, who both played in the singles, will be looking to end that run and they begin in the second match on court four.

It’s a busy day for Skupski as he and American Desirae Krawczyk begin their mixed doubles campaign last up on court five in a tournament they have won in both the past two years.

Image source, BBC Sport

Some lovely tennis in there with Carlos Alcaraz taking the spotlight with a lob over Alexandre Muller hitting the baseline. Maybe that's what he was trying to do with those earlier high hitters.

An ace follows but Muller's return from a thumping Alcaraz serve clips the net and finds its way on the line, taking us to deuce.