Spain’s Carlos Alcaraz hits a return against Russia’s Karen Khachanov. (AFP)
Doha: World No.1 Carlos Alcaraz extended his strong start to the 2026 season with a hard-fought 6-7(1), 6-4, 6-3 victory over Karen Khachanov to book a Qatar ExxonMobil Open semi-final clash against title-holder Andrey Rublev yesterday.
Alcaraz recovered from a tight opening-set loss to seal his maiden last-four appearance in Doha as he improved his record to 10-0 for the season, also extending his flawless record against the Russian Khachanov to 6-0.
“It was a really close and tight match,” Alcaraz said after the two-hour, 27-minute contest.
“I feel exhausted, that’s for sure. I’m just happy and proud of the way I played. I think I just played a really good level, consistently good throughout the whole match. I think he had started to play well, and was playing such great points and such great tennis when it matters. It was a tough one, a pretty close one, but just really happy that I got it at the end,” Alcaraz said during his post-match press conference at the Khalifa International Tennis and Squash Complex.
“In the first set, I had a few break points and I couldn’t make them. One set point and I couldn’t make it, so it was really tough,” Alcaraz said.
“I think Karen was playing great, but I knew I’d had my chances. I just didn’t take them in the first set, so it was time to keep going and try to keep fighting. Wait for my chances and try to take them in the second set. I’m just really proud of the way that I fought.”
Both players let three break points slip in a series of fierce exchanges in the first set.
Khachanov dominated the breaker, opening a 6-1 lead and taking the set on his third set point.
Alcaraz responded in the second set, breaking to 15 in the fifth game to level the match.
He broke again at 2-2 in the deciding set to take control before securing another break in the ninth game to book his place in the semi-finals.
Earlier, Russian fifth seed Rublev kept his title defence on track after a 6-3, 7-6(2) victory over Stefanos Tsitsipas to book his place in the semi-finals.
The World No.14 produced a composed display in the key moments to stretch his unbeaten run in Doha to eight matches as he reached the last-four without dropping a set in Doha this time.
Russia’s Andrey Rublev in action against Greece’s Stefanos Tsitsipas.
Rublev, the Doha champion in both 2020 and 2025, saved all five break points he faced against Tstisipas yesterday, sealing the victory in 96 minutes in their first meeting since 2022.
Rublev said a few points made the difference against Tsitsipas.
“He also had break points in the first set. I manage to have one break point and to make it. He had a couple of opportunities, and he didn’t make it. So I guess that was the case in the first set,” Rublev said.
“Both of us, we like to take the forehand and dictate. So it was this type of match, who will take the forehand first, and will start to dictate,” the 28-year-old said.
“Second set was, again, little details that, in important moments, especially in a tiebreak, I played really well. That was the difference,” Rublev, who will now make his fifth semi-final appearance in nine visits to Doha, said.
With the third semi-final between Alcaraz and Khachanov still in progress on the centre court, Rublev hinted that a possible clash against the top-ranked Spaniard will be a huge challenge.
“Of course it’s going to be super difficult. What else to say? It’s going to be a good challenge for me to see “I don’t know how I approach it. I just try to do my best when I’m playing against them (players like Sinner and Alcaraz). Try to be focused. With them, if you lose a little focus, the match is done, and that’s it,” Rublev said.
In the day’s first quarter-final, Frenchman Arthur Fils cruised past Czech Jiri Lehecka 6-3, 6-3 to advance.
Despite making it look easy, Fils said the match was a tough affair.
“It was not easy. Maybe we see the score 6-3, 6-3, people think, okay, one break each set. No, it was very tough. Tough condition as well. It was cold and a bit windy, so not easy to do a lot of winners,” Fils said after the match.
“But pretty happy with the way I stayed focused during the match. I think we did a great job, so, yeah, we have to keep going like this,” said Fils.
