Carlos Alcaraz studied the Grass Court Masters. That means Andy Murray.

Carlos Alcaraz took some time to rest after coming up short in the French Open last month, and then he began the next step to strengthen one of the few remaining weaknesses in his tennis development: playing on grass.

For Alcaraz, the 20-year-old world number 1, that meant plenty of practice and competition on the surface, which is at once the most traditional and idiosyncratic in the sport. It also meant hours of watching videos from Andy Murray, the two-time Wimbledon champion and one of the masters of grass tennis.

On a rainy day that saw almost every uncontested game on the All England Club’s two indoor courts canceled or suspended, Alcaraz showed his homework paying off, and Murray provided the young Spaniard with a fresh batch of study material. .

Alcaraz has never progressed past the round of 16 at Wimbledon, but he has left no doubt about his third-round goals at this most revered tennis competition.

“To win the tournament,” he said after the 6-0, 6-2, 7-5 smash he delivered to France’s Jeremy Chardy. “I have a lot of confidence now.”

An afternoon of playing against Chardy, who had announced his retirement after this tournament, would certainly contribute to that. There was little chance that Chardy would pose a major challenge to Alcaraz at 36 years old, ranked 542nd in the world and with just one tour-level win this year.

But for Alcaraz, who mainly played on red clay, the value of the day didn’t come from his opponent’s difficulty. It came from spending more time on the sport’s most seductive surface. With every match at Wimbledon, Alcaraz moves closer to the inevitable: when the most talented young player becomes as good on grass as anywhere else.

This is where viewing videos of Murray comes into play. Alcaraz knows how to hit a tennis ball as well as anyone, and his drop shot is as good as it gets on clay and hard courts. He is also about the fastest player in the game, especially on clay and hard courts. But he has said he needs to learn how to adapt his speed and his repertoire of shots to the grass.

Few players have demonstrated this better than Murray, who won the men’s singles title at Wimbledon in 2013 and 2016 and showed why on Tuesday afternoon in his 6-3, 6-0, 6-1 dismantling of fellow Briton Ryan Peniston. .

There are, of course, others who have conquered grass, namely Roger Federer, who won a record eight men’s singles titles at Wimbledon and spent the afternoon quietly chatting in the front row of the royal box with Catherine, Princess of Wales, after he was celebrated with a video and a standing ovation. Alcaraz has also studied his matches.

And then there’s Novak Djokovic, who has won the last four singles titles here, seven overall, and has a 29-match winning streak at Wimbledon. The problem with studying Djokovic is that he moves differently than everyone else on grass.

Djokovic has somehow figured out how to slip and slide like he’s on clay or hard court. When others try to play that way, they often end up on their behinds or with a pulled groin. It is a style of grass tennis that should come with a “don’t try” warning.

Not Alcaraz. Not heading for the title at the grass pitch tune-up at Queen’s Club two weeks ago, or against Chardy on Tuesday when he showed plenty of signs of his Murray/Federer impersonation.

Alcaraz tackled the balls a bit earlier, a necessary move as they hardly bounce on grass. It slowed down and turned with a series of quick stutter steps instead of its usual lightning fast plant-and-pivot. He showed his improved serve by firing 10 aces, many of which slid down the field, including a last on match point in the deep wide corner of the service box that slid off the field before Chardy could go for it.

“Every time I go on the field to play, it’s better for me,” he said when it was over. “I’m getting more experience which is really, really important on that surface.”

Murray has no shortage of experience on grass and has almost always looked comfortable at the All England Club. He made his third round debut in the main draw in 2005 when he was only 18 years old. Tuesday’s victory over Peniston provided plenty of tips for studying turf.

Alcaraz often talks about how he wants to play aggressively in every match. Murray showed that aggression on grass can take many forms beyond Alcaraz’s crushing forehand.

He played blocked backhand returns from serve that died in front of the field to set up passing shots and send drop volleys nearly sideways. In some rallies he produced a series of blows that got closer and closer to the top of the net, sliding lower and lower as they landed on the grass. A passing shot while Peniston was at the net darted to his feet as if it fell off a table as soon as it went over the tape. It was all over in two hours and one minute, one of Murray’s easier days at Center Court, although he confessed to feeling nervous early on.

“I like to feel that way,” he said. “If I went out on the field feeling flat, not having any emotion when I walk out there, that’s something that would probably be a little bit wrong.”

When Peniston committed his final foul, Murray celebrated with the fewest fist pumps and a short wave to the crowd.

He noted that the last time Federer had seen him on Center Court was in the final of the 2012 Olympics when Federer cheered on his compatriot and Murray’s opponent, Stan Wawrinka, that day.

“I was happy to take a few hits today,” said Murray.

Murray skipped the French Open to prepare for Wimbledon, the tournament he believes will give him the best chance of entering week two.

Those chances probably improved on Tuesday when the match between his potential opponents, Stefanos Tsitsipas and Dominic Thiem, was abandoned shortly after Thiem won the first set. They are likely to resume on Wednesday, with the winner almost undoubtedly taking on Murray on Center Court on Thursday.

Murray said he doesn’t study draws, preferring to focus only on his next game rather than wasting time on hypotheses. If he did, he would find a potential opponent in the semis who would be familiar with his tricks.

That would be Alcaraz.