Carlos Alcaraz Battles Past Khachanov to Enter Italian Open Quarterfinals

The Spanish star Alcaraz digs deep to outlast Karen Khachanov in a three-set thriller and sets up a high-stakes quarterfinal showdown with Britain’s Jack Draper.

Carlos Alcaraz Edges Khachanov in Rome to Reach Quarterfinals, Faces Draper Next

Rome [Italy], May 14 – Carlos Alcaraz showed grit and resilience on Tuesday as he overcame a spirited challenge from Karen Khachanov to book his place in the quarterfinals of the Internazionali BNL d’Italia. In a roller-coaster fourth-round match at the Italian Open, the Spanish third seed prevailed 6-3, 3-6, 7-5 in two hours and 29 minutes.

Despite surrendering a break lead in both the second and third sets, the 22-year-old Alcaraz rallied under pressure, demonstrating the mental strength that has become his trademark. With the win, he becomes the first Spaniard to reach the last eight in Rome since Rafael Nadal’s run in 2021.

“It feels amazing to get the win at the end against a really big and really tough guy like Khachanov,” said Alcaraz in his post-match interview. “Physically, I struggled a bit. There was no pain, but I was just tired. The match was really tough. I had to run a lot, so I’m just really proud of the way I fought for every ball.”

Alcaraz acknowledged losing focus during the second set after going a break up. “He started to play great, but I was happy to forget it and come into the third set as good as possible. I just fought, and I’m really happy about that,” he added.

The early stages of the match saw Khachanov respond effectively to Alcaraz’s pace and depth. But as the contest wore on, Alcaraz’s consistency and creativity began to take control, allowing him to tilt the balance in his favor during the closing games.

Next up, Alcaraz will face fifth seed Jack Draper in a marquee quarterfinal clash. While the Spaniard leads their head-to-head 3-2, Draper memorably defeated him in the Indian Wells semi-finals earlier this year. The British star continued his own strong form with a 1-6, 6-4, 6-3 comeback win over Corentin Moutet to advance.

“Jack is playing great,” Alcaraz said ahead of the upcoming match. “The way he’s playing is really high. I’ve been watching his matches. The way he plays is huge, and I have to be ready for that. I think it’s going to be a great battle.”

With Alcaraz’s eyes set firmly on the title in Rome, his next test against the in-form Draper could prove to be one of the most gripping matchups of the tournament so far.