Alcaraz survives his particular blackouts

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Few players walk such a thin line between enjoyment and insulting superiority over their rivals, and total disconnections that make them vulnerable. Carlos Alcaraz displayed that in his match against Karen Khachanov at the ATP Masters 1000 Rome 2025, but managed to win by 6-3 3-6 7-5 to advance to the quarterfinals.

If in one match the virtues and flaws of Carlos Alcaraz can be summarized, that could be the one that pitted him against Karen Khachanov in the round of 16 of the ATP Masters 1000 Rome 2025. The continual ups and downs of the Spaniard kept pulling the Russian in and out of the match, creating moments of great excitement throughout.

There was a certain relaxation in the initial stages of the first set by Alcaraz, aware of how comfortable he usually feels facing the Russian. Lacking intensity and accuracy, the player from Murcia found himself with an early break against him and had to save two break points to avoid trailing by a double break. Khachanov tightened his grip in search of a significant advantage, mindful of the storm that could hit him afterward. At 3-1, the perfect storm of winners, consistency, drop shots, changes of height, and ultimately, the intrinsic magic of the Spaniard was unleashed, completely nullifying any argument from Karen.

- Alcaraz was up 3-2 and 40-15 in the second set but made life difficult against a strong Khachanov.

What unfolded in the second set went beyond all imaginable scenarios and revealed the two distinct sides of the Spaniard. He had an impressive start to the set by breaking in one of those games that perfectly encapsulates all his virtues, but with a 3-2 lead and 40-15 on his serve, he suffered a blackout only comparable to the one that occurred in Spain a few weeks ago. He mentally disconnected, lost tactical order and inspiration, witnessing Khachanov showcase a great version of himself to level the score.

It was not a minor lapse, but the feeling was that Carlos would steer back on course in a decisive third set that no longer allowed room for relaxation. However, the Spaniard appeared far from his usual physical power, struggling to recover between points and slightly less explosive, saved a break point at the beginning, which boosted his confidence to go up 4-1. Yet, a new physical, tennis, and mental collapse put the Spaniard in a very precarious situation at 4-4 and 5-5 on serve, facing some difficulties.

- The Spaniard summoned courage to close out the match when it seemed most challenging.

He managed to assert his authority in those tricky games and, with a 6-5 lead, went all out to try to win the match on return. He regained that order and tactical acumen that make him an almost impregnable opponent and sealed the match with more struggle than expected. Carlos Alcaraz remains alive in the ATP Masters 1000 Rome 2025, but he has plenty of work ahead if he aims to emerge victorious at the end of the week at the Foro Italico.

This news is an automatic translation. You can read the original news, Alcaraz sobrevive a sus apagones particulares