It was a date forever to be highlighted in the diary: the day the 733rd ranked Oliver Tarvet faced No.2 seed Carlos Alcaraz, the two-time defending champion, on Centre Court.

The result may not be one Tarvet wishes to remember – he lost 6-1, 6-4 6-4 – but in his first Grand Slam and only his second tour-level match, his overall performance was impressive for one so inexperienced (he is 21 and a college player at the University of San Diego). What he learned today can only stand him in good stead for the future. Alcaraz was impressed.

Alcaraz was simply too good and too strong for the university student, as everyone expected him to be. Yet Tarvet did not buckle under the pressure; he revelled in the occasion and he gave an excellent account of himself for every point of the three sets and the two hours and 17 minutes they lasted.

Alcaraz will be back on Friday; Tarvet will be back next year. The future looks bright for the young Briton.

“I have to give a big credit to Oliver,” he said. “It’s his second match on the tour. I just love his game, to be honest. The level he played in his first match on Centre Court – I know that it is really difficult. He showed really great tennis.

“I knew at the beginning that I had to be really focused, to try to play my best tennis. I think today I just played great tennis. I’m really happy about my performance today but, yeah, just big credit to him as well.”

There is a quiet confidence about Ollie (only his mother calls him Oliver, and only when he’s in trouble). Was he nervous before his Wimbledon debut on Monday? Of course. Was it a problem? No. Does he respect Alcaraz? Obviously. Does he fear him? No.

Basically, Tarvet believes he can beat anybody, although he is sensible enough to know that he won’t beat everybody. When his philosophy is broken down into such simple terms, it hints that he will go far. Just maybe not on Wednesday against Alcaraz.

What helps keep Tarvet on an even keel is his practice of journaling. He takes his notebook and pen with him to the practice courts and the match courts and jots down his thoughts and observations as the moment takes him.

Tarvet likes to “focus on what makes me good and gives me success”. Presumably as he walked onto Centre Court, he had noted that “I can hit a forehand like Carlos” and “I can drop shot with the best of them”. Now he just had to prove it.

Sadly for Ollie, Alcaraz’s notebook featured such facts as: “I have won Wimbledon twice”, “I have won Roland-Garros twice” and “I have won the US Open once”. What he might have scribbled out was “I did not play very well in my opening round”. He would not want to remember that five-set, error-riddled afternoon.

The defending champion had never played a homegrown player here before (Tarvet is from St Albans) but his win-loss record against Brits at the other Grand Slams was 3-0 and 13-5 in tour-level matches overall. With 15,000 of the Centre Court faithful cheering for the other chap for a change, it was no wonder he looked a little nervous in the opening game.

Tarvet, on the other hand, was having the time of his life. After three minutes, he had a break point. And then another. And another. The crowd were now fully warmed up and in full voice; the object of their affections was warming to his task, and we had a match on our hands.

What soon became clear was that Alcaraz was happier receiving rather than serving. His opponent had eight break point opportunities in that opening set and converted none of them. Alcaraz had four and converted two. And when Tarvet finally broke at the start of the second set, the champion broke back immediately.

Still, the world No.733 was not playing like a world No.733. He covered every blade of grass at breakneck speed; he defended as if his life depended upon it, and he had the nerve and presence of mind to attack at every opportunity. At no point did his confidence waver. This was impressive stuff from a man who had never played a top 100 player before, much less beaten one. And Alcaraz is some top 100 player.

But for all the British hero’s efforts, it was Alcaraz who knew how and when to apply the pressure, and how to close out the big points. Tarvet made the champion work for it but he did not yet have the wherewithal to threaten him.

As he left with his racket bag and journal, Tarvet had plenty to write about: “Carlos = beatable. But not yet. Me = learning fast. Wimbledon experience = invaluable.”

Alcaraz’s journal would record: “Serve still needs work. Forehand likewise, although much better than Monday. Third round reached. Job done.”