World No. 3 Carlos Alcaraz secured a place in the top eight of the Vienna tennis tournament. The Spaniard, who is seeded No. 2 in the tournament, overcame the resistance of Georgian Nikoloz Basilashvili 6:1, 7:6(11) in a round of 16 match.
The match lasted 1 hour and 41 minutes, with the main drama unfolding in the second set. The first part was dictated by Alcaraz, who quickly built a lead and closed it with a convincing 6:1.
However, the second part offered a completely different scenario. Basilashvili raised his level and managed to pose a serious test to the Spanish favorite. The set lasted a full 72 minutes, and the outcome came after an extremely contested tiebreak, in which Alcaraz still imposed his will at 13:11.
This was the third match between the two at the professional level and the first on hard court. The Spaniard continues to have a 100% advantage against the Georgian, but Basilashvili managed to win his first set in their rivalry.
In the next round, Alcaraz will face American Tommy Paul in a dispute for a place in the semifinals.