Carlos Alcaraz Survives Gripping Match in Queen’s Quarterfinals

LONDON, England — Carlos Alcaraz defeated compatriot Jaume Munar in a dramatic three-set match at the Queen’s Club on Friday, winning 6-4, 6-7(9), 7-5. The match marked Alcaraz’s entry into the quarterfinals of this prestigious tournament, a warm-up for Wimbledon.

The encounter lasted three hours and 23 minutes, making it the longest at Queen’s since 1991. After his win, Alcaraz humorously wrote on the camera lens, “Were we on clay?” reflecting on the intensity of the game.

Despite the victory, Alcaraz struggled significantly throughout the match. The 22-year-old hit 53 unforced errors and faced a double fault on match point in the second-set tiebreak. However, he showed resilience by overcoming a 4-2 deficit in the third set to secure the win on his third match point.

“Jaume is a great competitor,” Alcaraz told the BBC. “I think you saw today how difficult it is to beat him. There were a lot of things going on in the match, but I’m just really, really happy.”

Alcaraz, who recently clinched his fifth grand slam title, extended his winning streak to a career-best 15 matches. He acknowledged the mental and physical challenges from the match, stating that he was unsure how he prevailed. “I just kept fighting,” he said. “I guess I didn’t give up.”

On the grass courts, Alcaraz’s record is impressive, boasting a 22-1 record since 2023. This includes winning the Queen’s title last year and back-to-back Wimbledon championships.

In a separate match, Jannik Sinner, the recent French Open finalist, was eliminated by Alexander Bublik, who claimed victory with scores of 3-6, 6-3, 6-4.