Carlos Alcaraz booked his place in the Italian Open quarter-finals on Tuesday after surviving a stern test from Russia’s Karen Khachanov. The Spanish third seed came through a gruelling three-set contest, winning 6–3, 3–6, 7–5 on the centre court at Foro Italico.
The 21-year-old had never previously dropped a set in four meetings with Khachanov, but the Russian produced a determined display that pushed Alcaraz to the brink. Victory not only keeps Alcaraz’s hopes of a maiden Rome title alive, but also moves him a step closer to securing a top-two seeding at the French Open, which begins later this month.
“It was a really tough match. I had to run a lot,” Alcaraz admitted afterwards. “I didn’t play my best, but I just kept fighting and I’m really happy to get through.”
Alcaraz appeared to be in control early, rattling off six consecutive games to seal the first set and take the opening game of the second. When he broke Khachanov again in the fifth game of the second set, a straight-sets win looked likely.
However, the 28-year-old Khachanov dug deep, immediately breaking back and going on to claim the set. He then mounted another spirited fightback in the decider, winning three games on the bounce to level at 4–4 after trailing 4–1.
But Alcaraz, showing resilience and composure, ultimately sealed the win at the second time of asking. He will now face Britain’s Jack Draper in the last eight, after the fifth seed overcame France’s Corentin Moutet.
Meanwhile, world number one Jannik Sinner is set to face his first serious challenge of the tournament when he meets Argentina’s Francisco Cerundolo later today. The Italian, returning to action after serving a three-month doping ban, has looked sharp so far in Rome, easing past Jesper de Jong 6–4, 6–2 on Monday.
Sinner will be mindful of history—he was eliminated in the last 16 by Cerundolo in last year’s edition.
Elsewhere, defending champion Alexander Zverev takes on rising French talent Arthur Fils in another key men’s match, as the tournament heads into a crucial phase.
On the women’s side, home favourite Jasmine Paolini will look to delight the Italian crowd in her quarter-final clash against Diana Shnaider. The sixth seed headlines a day of action that continues to build momentum towards a thrilling finals weekend in Rome.