Carlos Alcaraz will face Jack Draper in the Italian Open quarter-finals after the pair survived respective three-set thrillers in the round of 16 on Tuesday. 

Alcaraz overcame Karen Khachanov in two hours and 28 minutes, emerging a 6-3 3-6 7-5 victor to advance to the final eight for the first time in Rome. 

Just as he did in his previous match against Laslo Djere, Alcaraz started slowly and dropped serve in the opening game.

But the Spaniard found his rhythm, levelling the contest with a break of his own in the sixth game before reeling off the next three games.

Khachanov, though, opened the second set with a love service game, and then won the final four games to take the encounter the distance. 

Alcaraz appeared on course for the quarter-finals after surging into a 4-1 lead in the decider but Khachanov refused to lay down and levelled the match once more. 

However, Alcaraz crucially broke his opponent in the 12th game, and sealed the win with a fierce forehand that Khachanov returned into the net. 

Game. Set. Alcaraz. @carlosalcaraz completes the set of quarter-finals at all nine Masters 1000 events and will face Draper in what promises to be a fabulous encounter!@InteBNLdItalia | #IBI25 pic.twitter.com/dTrvGEXNzM

— ATP Tour (@atptour) May 13, 2025

Draper, meanwhile, came from a set down to beat a spirited display from Corentin Moutet, earning a 1-6 6-4 6-3 in just over two hours in Rome.

The 23-year-old was able to regain his composure after sluggish start, including keeping his cool after an extended video review in the second set.

Moutet was adamant that Draper had hit the ball into the ground and was unhappy with the angles he was shown, with the Brit eventually awarded the point. 

And from then, the fifth seed never looked likely to slip up, and he and sealed the win on serve.

"Honestly, I was a bit bamboozled at the start, to be honest. I haven't played someone like that, well, ever, I don't think," Draper said. 

"I felt like I was on a string, like I didn't know what I was doing.

"And then I came out in the second set and just fought for every point and found a way in the end to pick up my level and it was a good one to come through. It feels good.

"You don't know what's happening shot to shot. You can almost get sucked into his way of playing. I was all over the court."

Data Debrief: Young guns clash once again

Following meetings at the Australian Open and at the Indian Wells Open already this season, Draper and Alcaraz will do battle once more for a place in the last four.

Alcaraz currently leads their career head-to-head 3-2.

With his win, Alcaraz (98 matches) became the third-fastest player to 75 ATP Masters 1000 wins, after Rafael Nadal (91) and Stefan Edberg (97) since the format's introduction in 1990. 

75 - Since the format’s introduction in 1990, Carlos Alcaraz (98 matches) has become the third-fastest player to 75 ATP Masters 1000 match wins after Rafael Nadal (91) and Stefan Edberg (97). Echelon.#IBI25 | @InteBNLdItalia @atptour @ATPMediaInfo pic.twitter.com/t1Tu1ZDSKs

— OptaAce (@OptaAce) May 13, 2025

He is also the second-youngest player to reach the quarter-finals at nine separate ATP Masters 1000 events, only older than the great Nadal. 

Not to be outdone, Draper, at 23 years and 126 days old, became the youngest British man in the Open Era to reach a singles quarter-final at the Italian Open. 

Draper also claimed his ninth match win on clay in 2025 – as many as he had managed for his entire career on the surface prior to this year.