Carlos Alcaraz battles past Luca Nardi to reach Qatar Open quarters

Alcaraz overcomes tough challenge from Nardi to advance in Doha.

Luca Nardi during his men's singles match at the ATP Qatar Open tennis tournament in Doha, Qatar, on February 19, 2025. Photo by Karim Jaafar/AFP/Getty Images

By Yuni Utomo and Randy Ahmad

Carlos Alcaraz survived a spirited challenge from Italian qualifier Luca Nardi to book his place in the Qatar Open quarter-finals on Wednesday. The Spanish top seed, who appeared to be in complete control after taking the first set and leading 4-1 in the second, was forced into a deciding set after Nardi mounted an impressive comeback.

Nardi reeled off five straight games to stun the world No. 2 and force a third set, but Alcaraz responded by breaking his opponent in the fourth game and closing out a hard-fought 6-1, 4-6, 6-3 victory.

"He played a few good points and then it seemed like he started to play like the world number one," Alcaraz said, praising Nardi’s mid-match resurgence.

"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 managed to reset and start fresh in the third set."

Alcaraz sets up quarter-final clash with Lehecka

With the win, Alcaraz moves into the last eight, where he will face Czech rising star Jiri Lehecka. The 22-year-old advanced with a dominant 6-4, 6-2 victory over Hungary’s Fabian Marozsan, needing just over an hour to secure his spot in the next round.

Alcaraz, a four-time Grand Slam champion, is making his debut at the Qatar Open and is aiming to claim his first ATP title of the 2025 season. Despite struggling at times against Nardi, the Spaniard remains a strong contender for the title.

Alex de Minaur, Daniil Medvedev, and Andrey Rublev also advance

Second seed Alex de Minaur continued his strong start to the season with a composed 6-4, 6-4 victory over Dutch qualifier Botic van de Zandschulp. The Australian, ranked eighth in the world, saved all four break points he faced and used his trademark speed to control the match.

De Minaur, who reached the Australian Open quarter-finals and finished as runner-up to Alcaraz in Rotterdam earlier this month, is chasing his first title of the season. He will next face Russia’s Andrey Rublev, who secured a 6-3, 6-4 win over Portugal’s Nuno Borges.

Rublev, a Doha champion in 2020, has been in strong form, making the semi-finals in Montpellier and the quarter-finals in Rotterdam before heading to Qatar.

Elsewhere, 2023 champion and fourth seed Daniil Medvedev cruised past Zizou Bergs with a commanding 6-2, 6-1 victory. The Russian, known for his defensive prowess and consistency on hard courts, remains one of the favorites to lift the trophy again.

Britain’s Jack Draper also moved into the quarter-finals with a straight-sets win over Christopher O’Connell, while Felix Auger-Aliassime advanced after Hamad Medjedovic withdrew due to injury. Medjedovic, who had defeated Stefanos Tsitsipas in the previous round, was forced to pull out after sustaining a leg injury.

With the tournament heating up, Alcaraz, Medvedev, Rublev, and De Minaur remain among the leading contenders for the title as they head into the decisive stages of the Qatar Open.