Alcaraz advances at Queen's quarter-finals

United News of India

4 hours ago

London, June 20 (UNI) World number two Carlos Alcaraz said he "did not know how I'm still standing here" after battling to victory over Jaume Munar to reach the Queen's quarter-finals.
Spain's Alcaraz needed three hours and 26 minutes to beat his inspired compatriot 6-4 6-7 (7-9) 7-5 on a scorching London afternoon.
Alcaraz had two match points on his serve in the second-set tie-break but double faulted on one, and then had to come back from a break down in the decider.
Victory was Alcaraz's 15th in a row - the longest streak of his career so far.
The match took place just 11 days after the epic French Open final, where Alcaraz saved three championship points before battling back to beat Jannik Sinner and retain his title.
The 22-year-old wrote "3h30 - were we on clay?" on the camera lens after his victory over Munar,
the BBC report said.
"At some point I felt like I was playing in Spain," Alcaraz said of the heat.
"Today the conditions were extreme, super hot. At the end of the second set I was struggling a little bit, my head spinning around.
"I just kept fighting. I guess I didn't give up."
Two-time defending Wimbledon champion Alcaraz will face Arthur Rinderknech for a place in the
last four after the Frenchman beat Reilly Opelka 7-5 7-6 (7-3).
This is just a second match on grass for Alcaraz after the physical and emotional toll of the Roland Garros final.
He started strongly against Munar but grew unusually frustrated as the match went on, shouting at
his team and disputing a time violation with the umpire midway through the second set.
World number 59 Munar said before the match that his chances of an upset were "low" - but he
came within touching distance of victory, thanks to some strong serving and deep, powerful forehands.
After a composed first set, Alcaraz could not find the breakthrough in the second, with Munar saving three break points in a gritty display.
Munar also missed nine break points and needed eight set points to eventually edge over the line after one hour and 41 minutes.
Alcaraz held to love to start the deciding set and quickly went a break up, with Munar looking to have expended all his energy taking the second set.
However, Munar broke back and led 4-3 30-0 before Alcaraz hit back, reeling off four points in a row to force the set back on level terms.
There was a glimpse for Munar as Alcaraz went 0-30 down in his next service game - but, as the top players often do, Alcaraz simply found a way through, holding serve before capitalising as Munar served for a match tie-break.
"It was a really tough battle. He's a great competitor and showed how difficult it is to beat him," Alcaraz added.
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