World number two Carlos Alcaraz defeated 86th‑ranked Fabio Fognini of Italy in a thrilling three‑set match on Thursday, advancing to the quarter‑finals of the ATP Rio Open. The 19‑year‑old Spanish phenom lost the first set 6‑7 (5‑7) but rallied to win the next two sets 6‑2, 6‑4. “It’s a challenge facing a player like Fabio. He’s a great player with a lot of talent,” Alcaraz said after the dramatic clay‑court duel. “You never know what he might have in store for you.”
Fognini, a 35‑year‑old veteran with nine singles titles, fell behind 0‑3 in the opening set before mounting a comeback with a series of masterful rallies. He broke Alcaraz’s serve to level the set at 5‑5 and then secured the tiebreaker. However, Alcaraz responded emphatically in the second set, racing to a 4‑0 lead and maintaining his momentum through the final set to clinch the match. The dramatic display energized the crowd, prompting Alcaraz to thank the fans: “You energized both Fabio and me from the start, thank you so much. We played a great match. I’m very happy I managed to win.”
In the quarter‑finals on Friday, Alcaraz will face the winner of an all‑Serbian showdown between 57th‑ranked Laslo Djere and 80th‑ranked Dušan Lajović. The Spaniard returned last week from a four‑month injury break and is eager to recapture the form that carried him to the Rio Open title last year—a triumph that helped him amass five titles, including the US Open, and become the youngest ever world number one in the ATP rankings. He later lost that top spot to Novak Djokovic after struggling with injuries.
Alcaraz opened his title defence in Rio by overcoming a tougher‑than‑expected, rain‑delayed match against 556th‑ranked Mateus Alves of Brazil on Wednesday. He had made his 2023 debut the previous week by winning his seventh career ATP title at the Argentina Open.
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