Doha, February 19 – Carlos Alcaraz advanced to the quarter-finals of the Qatar Open with a straight-sets victory over Valentin Royer, winning 6-2, 7-5.
Alcaraz won five consecutive games from 2-5 in the second set, playing in a typically elegant style to complete a 96-minute second-round win.
"There were moments when I thought about a third set, but obviously it was just a small thought in my mind. The rest was about finding solutions and finding the right way again.
"I'm really pleased and happy that I was able to find a good rhythm and good tennis. It's just about fighting. I know tennis. It's just about one point, and sometimes it can be very difficult to win a set or a match. I just had to stay focused, and I'm happy that I turned it around and won in straight sets," Alcaraz said after the win.
Alcaraz is on a nine-match winning streak after his Australian Open title run, reaching the quarter-finals in Doha. He will face Karen Khachanov on Thursday for a spot in the semi-finals.
Seventh-seeded Khachanov, who defeated Marton Fucsovics 6-2, 4-6, 6-4 earlier on Wednesday, was the champion in the Qatari capital.
Alcaraz is now on a 27-match winning streak on outdoor hard courts, dating back to his title run at the Cincinnati Open last August. The 22-year-old is chasing his first trophy in Doha, where he lost to Jiri Lehecka in the quarter-finals on his debut a year ago, according to ATP reports.
The other quarter-final in Alcaraz's half of the draw will feature fifth seed and defending champion Andrey Rublev taking on Stefanos Tsitsipas.
Rublev defeated Fabian Marozsan 6-2, 6-4, while former World No. 3 Tsitsipas advanced to his first tour-level quarter-final in 10 months by defeating fourth seed Daniil Medvedev 6-3, 6-4.
