Alcaraz Advances to Quarter-Finals with Win Over Djere in Barcelona

BARCELONA, Spain — Top seed Carlos Alcaraz secured his place in the quarter-finals of the Barcelona Open on Thursday, defeating Serbia’s Laslo Djere in straight sets, 6-2, 6-4. The match, which lasted just 72 minutes, showcased Alcaraz’s dominance on clay, as he continued his pursuit of a third title in Barcelona.

Alcaraz, ranked second in the world, stormed through the first set, winning five consecutive games. He exhibited impressive control, delivering eight unanswered winners to assert his superiority. However, a brief setback in the second set saw him fall behind 4-2, prompting a regrouping that led to four consecutive games in his favor. “After going 4-2 down in the second, I played a bit more like what my level is,” Alcaraz said after the match.

The 21-year-old expressed satisfaction with his performance, stating, “I am very happy that I could step up my level and seem more like my best, and I want to continue.” His ability to close out the match was critical as he aims to conserve energy for upcoming challenges.

In the quarter-finals, Alcaraz will face fifth seed Alex de Minaur, who defeated Britain’s Jacob Fearnley 6-1, 6-2. Fearnley, unseeded and making his clay debut on the ATP Tour, had secured his first-ever win on the surface earlier in the tournament.

Meanwhile, in other results, fourth seed Andrey Rublev was upset by unseeded Alejandro Davidovich Fokina, who won 7-5, 6-4. Davidovich Fokina is set to meet unseeded Karen Khachanov in the next round, following Khachanov’s victory over Spain’s Jaume Munar, also by a score of 7-5, 6-4.

Alcaraz’s winning streak has now reached seven matches, following triumphs in both Monte-Carlo Masters and the initial rounds in Barcelona. Impressively, he has reached the quarter-finals in every tournament he has played in Spain over the last four years. “I think it’s much better to save energy for the matches that I have coming forward,” he added, underlining his focus on efficiency as the tournament progresses.