Thrilling scenes unfolded at the Qatar Open as Carlos Alcaraz clawed his way past Valentin Royer 6-2, 7-5, erasing a 2-5 deficit in the second set with five unanswered games to storm into the quarterfinals. The victory highlights Alcaraz’s unyielding fighting spirit on the Doha hard courts.
‘I feel great rediscovering my form and delivering quality tennis,’ the Spaniard noted. ‘Tennis boils down to individual points, and wrapping up sets or matches can test you. Truth be told, third-set thoughts crept in, but flipping it for a straight-sets win is rewarding.’
Alcaraz now confronts 2024 champion Karen Khachanov, the No. 7 seed, who grinded out a 6-2, 4-6, 6-4 win over Marton Fucsovics. The prodigy extends his outdoor hard court reign to 27 straight victories since Cincinnati last August, eyeing breakthrough success in Qatar after last year’s quarterfinal heartbreak.
At 22, following his historic Australian Open triumph and youngest career Grand Slam feat, Alcaraz is primed for glory. In parallel action, defending champ Andrey Rublev (5th seed) ousted Fabian Marozsan 6-2, 6-4, setting up a clash with Stefanos Tsitsipas, who shocked Daniil Medvedev 6-3, 6-4 for a comeback quarterfinal appearance.
Doha’s elite field promises intensified battles, with Alcaraz-Khachanov stealing the spotlight amid rising stakes.