Carlos Alcaraz overcame a second set wobble to defeat Laslo Djere 6-2, 6-4 on Thursday and reach the Barcelona Open quarterfinals.
The world number two stepped up a gear from his first round win over Ethan Quinn to dispatch his 80th-ranked opponent on the Catalan clay as he prepares for his French Open title defense.
Alcaraz, who triumphed at the Monte Carlo Masters last week, has had an inconsistent start to the year and in March fell at the first hurdle in the Miami Open.
Home favorite Alcaraz saved both break points he faced in a first set stroll, with Djere unable to produce a single winner, to the Spaniard’s eight.
The four-time Grand Slam winner won five games straight to claim a 5-1 first set lead and sealed it with his second set point.
In the second set Djere offered more of a fight and even broke for a 4-2 lead, but Alcaraz bounced back quickly.
Djere could not handle the Spaniard in full flow and crumbled away as Alcaraz won the final four games to triumph, sealing his win when the Serb pushed a shot into the net.
“After going 4-2 down in the second, I played a bit more like what my level is,” said Alcaraz. “I am very happy that I could step up my level and seem more like my best, and I want to continue.”
Alcaraz will face world number seven Alex de Minaur in the quarterfinals on Friday after the Australian eased to a 6-1, 6-2 victory over Jacob Fearnley in just over an hour.
“It’s very positive for the tournament that all the favorites are in the quarterfinals,” added Alcaraz. “I don’t know if it’s more or less difficult than in previous years, but it’s going to be a battle from now on.”
Briton Fearnley, competing on the red dirt for the first time this week made 28 unforced errors and was unable to convert either of his two break points.
The Scot got into the main draw as a lucky loser but was able to earn his first win on clay against Roberto Carballes Baena in the first round.
Earlier, in-form Alejandro Davidovich Fokina defeated world number eight Andrey Rublev 7-5, 6-4.
The Spaniard, ranked 30th, had never beaten the Russian before but triumphed at the sixth time of asking in straight sets.
Monte Carlo Masters semi-finalist Davidovich Fokina broke three times in a topsy-turvy first set, with Rublev twice reacting before the Malaga native held to love in the 12th game.
Rublev went a break down in the first game of the second set, but despite securing one of his own for 2-2, he was once again broken as Davidovich Fokina took a 5-4 lead and then served out for the match, again to love.
Spain’s Jaume Munar came up short against Karen Khachanov, who also won 7-5, 6-4, and will face Davidovich Fokina in the next round.
The Russian, who trains in Barcelona, only converted four of 15 break points but eventually put the battling Munar to bed.
Defending champion Casper Ruud faces Holger Rune and last year’s runner up Stefanos Tsitsipas takes on the exciting Arthur Fils in Friday’s other quarter-finals.
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