Carlos Alcaraz reached the Italian Open round of 16 for the very first time after beating Laslo Djere in straight sets on Sunday. (More Tennis News)
After a slow start in the first set, Alcaraz recovered brilliantly to earn a 7-6 (7-2) 6-2 victory in one hour and 43 minutes to set up a meeting with Karen Khachanov.
The Spaniard found himself 3-1 down early on in the contest as Djere took the game to the third seed, only for Alcaraz to reel off the next three games in a row.Â
Though Djere broke again, Alcaraz took the 12th game to take the first set the distance, in which he prevailed to edge closer to victory.Â
And Alcaraz took his momentum into the second, breaking his opponent twice to race into a 4-0 lead.Â
Djere got his first game on the board soon after, but the damage had already been done as Alcaraz sealed the win with a fierce serve that his Serbian opponent returned long.Â
"It was a really tough beginning, honestly, to find a good rhythm, to find the good path in the match,"Â said Alcaraz. "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.
"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."
Data Debrief: Alcaraz out for Masters 1000 history
Alcaraz will hope to build on his solid-yet-unspectacular start in Rome, with his performance against Djere showing signs of rust since his return from an adductor injury.
He did, however, convert four of the nine break points he earned, while also winning 68% (30/44) of his first-serve points.Â
If Alcaraz can beat Khachanov on Tuesday, he will complete the set of reaching the quarter-finals in all nine Masters 1000 events.
