ROME — Carlos Alcaraz was made to work for a 6-3, 3-6, 7-5 victory over Karen Khachanov that earned him a spot within the Italian Open quarterfinals on Tuesday and a rematch with Jack Draper — who beat him earlier this yr.
Alcaraz saved two break factors early within the third set then dropped his serve afterward to waste an early break earlier than enhancing to 5-0 in his profession towards the Twenty fourth-ranked Khachanov.
“Bodily I used to be struggling a bit of bit,” Alcaraz mentioned. “Not any ache in any a part of the physique. I used to be simply drained. I needed to run so much. I used to be actually proud the way in which I fought (for) each ball.”
The third-ranked Alcaraz wore a protracted black brace that coated the higher portion of his proper leg and stretched down to simply under his knee.
Alcaraz withdrew from the Madrid Open final month as a result of an higher proper leg ailment that bothered him through the Barcelona Open ultimate. He additionally had a left leg harm.
Alcaraz, who received the Monte Carlo Masters in April, improved to 12-1 on clay this season. The four-time Grand Slam champion will subsequent face No. 5 Draper, who rallied previous Corentin Moutet 1-6, 6-4, 6-3 on the pink clay courts of the Foro Italico.
Whereas Alcaraz holds a 3-2 profession edge over Draper, the British participant received their most up-to-date assembly within the semifinals at Indian Wells, California, in March.
Alcaraz is enjoying the Italian Open for the second time. In the course of the Spaniard’s debut final yr, he misplaced to then-One hundred and thirty fifth-ranked Hungarian qualifier Fabian Marozsan within the third spherical as he handled a bothersome proper forearm problem.
However Alcaraz then went on to win back-to-back Grand Slam titles on the French Open and Wimbledon.
Later within the different half of the draw, top-ranked Jannik Sinner was to play No. 18 Francisco Cerundolo within the greatest check to date after his return from a three-month doping ban.
Rome is the final massive warmup event earlier than the French Open begins Could 25.
Within the girls’s quarterfinals later, residence favorite Jasmine Paolini was enjoying Diana Shnaider and two-time Rome champion Elina Svitolina was enjoying Peyton Stearns.
