World No. 3 Carlos Alcaraz advanced to the Erste Bank Open quarterfinals with a straight-sets win over resurgent Nikoloz Basilashvili on Thursday.
Second seed Carlos Alcaraz reached the last eight in Vienna after sealing a 6-1, 7-6(11) triumph over World No. 95 Nikoloz Basilashvili in one hour and 41 minutes.
In his on-court interview, the Murcia native commented: "I played great tennis, and I’m really happy with the performance that I did today."
Assessing the match, he further explained: "In the first set, I was hitting the ball unbelievably and was feeling great on the court. I felt like he couldn’t play his style.
"Then in the second set I started pretty well, the same as the first set, but that game at 3-2, serving at him with a couple of mistakes, and he raised his level.
"I let him get into the match again. After that, I would say it was really close. He was playing great, and obviously that tiebreak. He had three easy balls to win the set, and I had three easy balls to win the match. I ended up missing the chances, but I’m just really happy with the way that I fought back.”
Competing in Vienna for the first time since 2021, the Spaniard delighted the crowd, showcasing his vast repertoire and superb athleticism to beat a spirited opponent.
In their third meeting on tour, the 23-year-old took the upper hand, converting a break in the fourth game of the first set.
As he kept Basilashvili guessing with his world-class shot-making execution, Alcaraz stormed to a double break before serving out 6-1 in just 28 minutes.
Moreover, the former world No. 1 made a huge difference with his return game, recording a return rate of 254 compared to his rival's 50.
Untroubled by the Almaty runner-up on serve, he continued his dominant performance in the early stages of the second set, breaking to open a 2-0 lead.
Bidding to push the seven-time Grand Slam champion against the wall, the 34-year-old rised his level.
A combination of depth and power earned him a chance to break in the fifth game, holding to inch ahead 4-3.
Despite facing break points on his own serve, the five-time ATP title winner held his advantage for the remainder of a balanced set, heading for a tiebreak.
Alcaraz rallied from 1-4 in a gruelling battle, eventually saving four set points to clinch the set 7-6(11) and the match in 71 minutes, reaching his 60th career quarterfinal.
He fired 26 winners against 20 unforced errors, converted three of seven break points and won 72 percent of points behind his first serve.
On Tuesday, the 27-time ATP title holder launched his campaign on Austrian soil with a hard-earned 6-4, 7-6(5) win over Karen Khachanov.
With the win on Thursday, he will next face seventh seed Tommy Paul for a place in the semifinals.
Earlier, the American player dispatched Italian Luciano Darderi 6-1, 6-1, advancing to the last eight at the ATP 500 tournament.
Alcaraz leads Paul 7-2 in the series, having met most recently at the US Open, a contest the former won in straight sets.