Carlos Alcaraz averted a scare on Wednesday to remain alive at the Qatar ExxonMobil Open in Doha.
The 21-year-old top seed withstood a late charge from Italian qualifier Luca Nardi to prevail 6-1, 4-6, 6-3 and advance to the quarter-finals at the newly upgraded ATP 500 event.
Trailing a set and 1-4, Nardi produced some redline tennis to stun the World No. 3, reeling off six consecutive games to force a decider. Yet in typically composed fashion, Alcaraz regrouped to seal a one-hour, 53-minute victory.
“At 4-1, 40/40 [in the second set], he played a few good points and then it seemed like he started to play like the World No. 1,” said Alcaraz after his maiden Lexus ATP Head meeting with Nardi. “I couldn’t do anything, I just tried to stay there, stay strong mentally. My energy levels probably went down a little bit, but credit to him. I’m really happy [that I] forgot everything and restarted in the third set.
“It was a good level mentally, I was really strong. I just tried to [let him know] that I’m there, screaming ‘Vamos’, to push me up and get the good energy again. I played really good tennis in the third set, but I’m really proud of my energy levels in that set.”
After triumphing in Beijing last October and claiming his first indoor title in Rotterdam earlier this month, Alcaraz is now on a 12-match win streak at ATP 500 events.
The four-time major winner, who is making his debut in Doha, will next face Jiri Lehecka, who earlier eased past Fabian Marozsan 6-4, 6-2 in 63 minutes.
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