Carlos Alcaraz booked his place in the quarter-finals of the Italian Open on Tuesday, edging past Russia’s Karen Khachanov in a gruelling three-set battle, 6-3, 3-6, 7-5, on the centre court at Foro Italico.
The third seed had won all four of their previous meetings without dropping a set, but he found himself pushed to the limit this time as he pursued a maiden title in Rome.
The 21-year-old Spaniard must reach at least the semi-finals in the Italian capital to secure a top-two seeding at the French Open, which begins later this month. His victory over Khachanov marked his 12th win on clay this season.
Alcaraz will next face fifth seed Jack Draper, who overcame France’s Corentin Moutet to advance to the last eight.
Reflecting on the hard-fought win, Alcaraz admitted: “It was tiring. The match was really tough. I had to run a lot. I didn’t play well, I just kept fighting, and I’m really happy to come through it.”
Alcaraz appeared on course for a straightforward victory after stringing together six consecutive games to take the first set and open the second with a break. When he broke again in the second set’s fifth game, it looked like the contest was done and dusted.
However, Khachanov immediately responded with a break of his own and clawed his way back into the match. He eventually took the second set and mounted a spirited fight in the decider. The Russian won three consecutive games to level the third set at 4-4, threatening a major upset.
But Alcaraz held his nerve and sealed the match on his second match point in an enthralling encounter.
In the men’s draw, Jannik Sinner faces a stern test of his form ahead of Roland Garros as he takes on Francisco Cerundolo, the Argentine who knocked him out in Rome last year at the same stage.
Sinner, the world number one, made light work of lucky loser Jesper de Jong on Monday, winning 6-4, 6-2 in his second match since returning from a three-month doping suspension.
Defending champion Alexander Zverev is also in action against France’s Arthur Fils in a day dominated by men’s fixtures.
In the women’s draw, Italy’s Jasmine Paolini is set to headline on centre court in her quarter-final clash against Diana Shnaider, with the sixth seed hoping to keep home hopes alive.
