Carlos Alcaraz moves past Laslo Djere to enter Rd-4 in Rome
Published on May 12, 2025
By IANS
- ROME — Carlos Alcaraz pulled through to a 7-6(2), 6-2 triumph against
Laslo Djere to reach the fourth round at the Italian ATP Masters 1000 for the
first time.
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- Alcaraz, who also defeated Djere in April en route to the
final in Barcelona, converted four of nine break points he earned in an
ultimately comfortable one-hour, 44-minute victory, ATP reports.
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- With his Tour-leading 26th win of the season, the
22-year-old booked a fourth-round meeting with 23rd seed Karen Khachanov, who
earlier sunk home favourite Francesco Passaro 6-3, 6-0.
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- Alcaraz was slow to get going on Campo Centrale, but he
dug deep before accelerating past an opponent, who struggled with a right arm injury
for much of the match, and produced a classy tie-break, highlighted by a
stunning forehand slice winner from a seemingly impossible position to wrap up
the opening set.
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- "He played really solid in the first set. I didn’t
find the way to [stop him], that’s how tough it was at the beginning. He was
serving for the first set and I just thought that I had to stay there, mentally
strong, and wait for my chances... I was just happy to get the first set.
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- Djere received treatment from the physio on his troublesome
arm, but the injury began to affect the Serbian. He quickly fell a double-break
behind, and Alcaraz was quick to wrap up a win.
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- “In the second set I think I was playing better. He made
a few mistakes that I tried to make the most of, and I am really happy,"
Alcaraz said.
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- Alcaraz will hope to build on solid-yet-unspectacular
start in Rome after he missed Madrid due to an adductor injury.
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- If Alcaraz can defeat Khachanov on Tuesday, he will
complete the set of reaching the quarter-finals at all nine Masters 1000
events. Alcaraz currently leads the 23rd seed 4-0 in their Lexus ATP
Head-to-Head series.