Defending champion Carlos Alcaraz endured a thrilling battle against Jan-Lennard Struff to secure his spot in the quarter-finals of the Madrid Open.
In a rematch of last year’s final, the Spanish sensation faced stiff resistance from the German 23rd seed, pushing the match to a dramatic deciding set tie-break. Despite squandering four match points at 5-3, Alcaraz displayed nerves of steel to outlast his opponent and claim a hard-fought 6-3, 6-7 (5-7), 7-6 (7-4) victory after nearly three hours of intense play.
Alcaraz, currently ranked third in the world, extended his remarkable 14-match winning streak on the Madrid courts, setting the stage for a captivating showdown in front of his home crowd.
The 20-year-old will now lock horns with Russian seventh seed Andrey Rublev, who showcased his prowess with a commanding 6-2, 6-4 triumph over Tallon Griekspoor earlier in the day.
Meanwhile, Italian top seed Jannik Sinner continued his quest for glory, overcoming a stern challenge from Karen Khachanov to advance to the quarter-finals. Despite dropping the first set, Sinner rallied to secure a hard-fought 5-7, 6-3, 6-3 victory, setting up a tantalizing clash with either Casper Ruud or Felix Auger-Aliassime in the next round.
In other action-packed encounters, Daniil Medvedev maintained his impressive form with a straight-sets victory over Alexander Bublik, while German fourth seed Alexander Zverev suffered a surprise defeat at the hands of Francisco Cerundolo. The Argentine 11th seed’s impressive display sets up a quarter-final showdown with America’s Taylor Fritz, who emerged victorious against Hubert Hurkacz in straight sets.