Alcaraz Qualifies For Italian Open Quarterfinals
Carlos Alcaraz defeated Karen Khachanov 6-3, 3-6, 7-5 to qualify for the Italian Open quarterfinals on Tuesday.
The Spaniard continued his dominance over Khachanov after winning four of their previous meetings without dropping a set.
He sealed a hard-earned victory to boost his chances of winning his first time in Rome.
The 21-year-old must reach at least the semi-finals in the Italian capital to secure a top-two seeding at the French Open.
Alcaraz admitted he was not at his best but was delighted to advance to the next round.
He said, “It was tiring. You know the match was really tough. I had to run. I had to run a lot. I didn’t play well. I just fought, and I’m just really happy about it.
“I remember the match perfectly in Indian Wells. I remember I started really, really badly. I was really nervous at the beginning. I think we didn’t do anything spectacular. In the first set, I think he didn’t do anything spectacular. He was really solid. I was making a lot of mistakes. In the second set, it was the same. I didn’t do anything spectacular.
“I had to learn from that match. I will try to start the match much better than I did in Indian Wells, just with more rhythm, not making a lot of mistakes. I [will] just try to get into the match and we’ll see. But I think we both will try to play aggressively. Whoever is better will win.”
Alcaraz will now take on Jack Draper in the last eight on Wednesday.
Similarly, Jack Draper recovered from a set down to beat Corentin Moutet 1-6, 6-4, 6-3 to advance to the Italian Open for the first time.
He will rise to world number four by reaching the semi-finals, with Taylor Fritz crashing out to Marcus Giron in the earlier rounds.
Draper is looking forward to his clash with Alcaraz in the quarter-finals on Wednesday.
He said, “I see it as just two guys who are playing great tennis going out there and wanting to win and beat each other and be competitive.
“I have a big respect for him. I know what he’s going to bring. He’s going to be really tough to beat. I feel strong and I feel good about the match. I hope that I can bring some really good tennis.”
Alcaraz is the first Spaniard to make the last eight in Rome since Rafael Nadal in 2021.
Alcaraz Qualifies For Italian Open Quarterfinals is first published on The Whistler Newspaper
