Rome [Italy], May 13 : Spanish Tennis maestro Carlos Alcaraz tapped into his peak when the stakes ran high to outwit Karen Khachanov at the Internazionali BNL d'Italia in the Italian Open on Tuesday.
Alcaraz, who delivered an up-and-down performance in the fourth round, sealed a 6-3, 3-6, 7-5 victory over Khachanov. In the second and third sets, the number three-ranked star let slip a break lead but staged a sublime comeback to maintain his flawless run in the tournament.
The 22-year-old took two hours and 29 minutes to break Khachanov's resilience and confirm his seat in the quarter-finals. He became the first Spaniard to qualify for the last eight in Rome since record 10-time champion Rafael Nadal in 2021.
"It feels amazing to get the win at the end against a really big and really tough guy like Khachanov. Physically, I struggled a bit. There was no pain on any part of the body, but I was just tired. The match was really tough. I had to run a lot, so I'm just really proud of the way I fought for every ball," Alcaraz said as quoted from ATP.
"At a break up in the second set, from then to the end of the second set, I probably lost focus a little bit. He started to play great, but I was happy to forget it and come into the third set as good as possible. I just fought, and I'm really happy about that," he added.
Alcaraz tried to find his rhythm in the opening hour of the fixture as Khachanov responded strongly to the Spaniard's fierce serves. Despite a low-key beginning, Alcaraz was able to flick a switch and turn the tide with his rollicking strokes to stand victorious in Rome.
After Alcaraz battled out fatigue to stay in the race for the top honours, he would need to overwhelm fifth seed Jack Draper to continue his hot run in Rome. In the head-to-head numbers, Alcaraz leads with a 3-2 scoreline, but the past favours Draper. The Briton staged a memorable victory over Alacaraz in the Indian Wells semi-finals in March.
Draper composed himself and conquered the magic of flamboyant Frenchman Corentin Moutet with a 1-6, 6-4, 6-3 victory on the red clay courts of the Foro Italico.
"Jack is playing great, who will rise to a career-high No. 4 in the PIF ATP Rankings next Monday should he win the pair's quarter-final. The way he's playing is really high. I've been watching his matches. The way he plays is huge, and I have to be ready for that. I think it's going to be a great battle," said Alcaraz on Draper.
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