Carlos Alcaraz navigated a wobble in the second set to defeat Valentin Royer 6-2 7-5 at the Qatar Open.

It looked as though Alcaraz would be required to go the distance in Doha on Wednesday when, after cruising into the lead in the opener, he fell 5-2 down in the second set.

Yet the world number one showcased his remarkable powers of recovery by reeling off five straight games to take his place in the quarter-finals.

Alcaraz required only 36 minutes to take the first set, but the Spaniard had to battle to hold off a break point in his first service game of set two.

World number 60 Royer, who is set to move up seven places in the rankings next week, got the better of Alcaraz's serve at the next time of asking, and he had the set in his hands on serve at 5-3 up.

Royer let the pressure get to him, though, and once Alcaraz had his break, he did not hold back, getting the better of Royer's serve again before serving out the victory at the first time of asking.

Just HW? @QatarTennis | #QatarExxonMobilOpen | @carlosalcaraz pic.twitter.com/jVAneo16ga

— ATP Tour (@atptour) February 18, 2026

Next up is a last-eight tie with seventh seed Karen Khachanov.

Data Debrief: Alcaraz's desert storm

Alcaraz has now won 27 straight matches on outdoor hard courts, a run dating back to his triumph in Cincinnati last August.

The 22-year-old, playing in his first tournament since winning his maiden Australian Open title earlier this month, is on a nine-match winning streak and on the hunt for his first triumph in Doha, after losing in the quarter-finals last year.