Spanish tennis player Carlos Alcaraz endured a thrilling challenge from fellow Spaniard Jaume Munar to reach the quarter-finals at Queen’s Club, winning 6-4, 6-7 (7/9), 7-5 on Thursday.
The world number two fought hard through a gruelling three-hour and 26-minute encounter under London’s hottest conditions of the year.
To combat cramping, Alcaraz resorted to gulping pickle juice between games as he rallied from a 4-2 deficit in the final set.
“It was an extremely tough match. Munar is a strong competitor and made it difficult,” Alcaraz admitted. “I’m proud of the level I maintained, especially since it’s only my second grass match of the season. Mentally and physically, it was challenging.”
Earlier in the week, Alcaraz had faced Australian Adam Walton in his first match since his dramatic French Open victory over Jannik Sinner. On Thursday, the 22-year-old, who aims for a third consecutive Wimbledon title, faced an even sterner test from Munar, ranked 59th.
Although not quite matching his remarkable comeback from Roland Garros, where he saved three match points, Alcaraz had to summon similar resilience to fend off Munar. He committed 53 unforced errors but struck 49 winners to clinch the win.
“I honestly don’t know how I’m still standing,” Alcaraz said. “But I’m glad I gave myself another shot at the quarters. I kept fighting and didn’t give up, even when mentally drained.”
After the exhausting battle, Alcaraz humorously wrote “Were we on clay?” on a TV camera lens before leaving the court.
Alcaraz will now face France’s Arthur Rinderknech, who defeated Reilly Opelka 7-5, 7-6 (7/3), on Friday for a place in the semi-finals.
In the match, Alcaraz secured an early break in the first set courtesy of three consecutive double faults by Munar, then closed it out with a brilliant drop shot. However, his form dipped in the second set as he wasted two match points in the tiebreak, allowing Munar to level the match.
The final set saw both players exchanging breaks, with Munar even holding a 3-2 lead before Alcaraz’s relentless determination saw him break back at 4-4 and finish the match with a well-placed lob.
Elsewhere, British player Jacob Fearnley reached his first ATP Tour quarter-final with a 6-3, 2-6, 6-2 victory over Corentin Moutet. The 23-year-old boasts an unblemished 17-0 record against French opponents and will face Czech Jiri Lehecka, who beat Gabriel Diallo 6-4, 6-2.
