Alcaraz into Barcelona quarters with victory over Djere
Carlos Alcaraz continued his hunt for a third Barcelona Open title with a straight-sets victory over Laslo Djere on Thursday, sealing a quarter-final spot.
Alcaraz, who triumphed on the clay in Catalonia in 2022 and 2023 but missed the 2024 edition due to injury, beat Djere 6-2 6-4 in just 72 minutes.
While back-to-back breaks in games three and five made the opening set a routine one for last week's Monte-Carlo Masters winner, he had to show his powers of recovery in the second.
Djere briefly led 4-2 but Alcaraz immediately broke to love, with that the first of four straight games he reeled off to seal his success.
Speaking in his courtside interview, Alcaraz – who also beat Ethan Quinn in straight sets on Tuesday – emphasised the importance of getting the job done in two.
"I think as much as I can win in straight sets, it's much better to save energy for the matches that I have coming," Alcaraz said.
"I think I played great tennis, even better than the first round, even though I had to come back from 4-2 in the second set. I'm really happy to find a great level again, and hopefully I'll keep it going."
Alcaraz will be joined in the last eight by compatriot Alejandro Davidovich Fokina, who beat Andrey Rublev 7-5 6-4, and Karen Khachanov, who overcame Jaume Munar 7-5 6-4.
Meanwhile, the Munich Open's last 16 saw victories for David Goffin, Francisco Cerundolo and Zizou Bergs. Alexander Zverev will face Tallon Griekspoor in the quarters on Friday.
Carlos on lock
— ATP Tour (@atptour) April 17, 2025
That’s a dozen straight on the Barcelona clay for @carlosalcaraz , brushing past Djere 6-2 6-4!@bcnopenbs | #BCNOpenBS pic.twitter.com/2CNfCozmLu
Data debrief: More home comforts for Alcaraz
Alcaraz has made the quarter-finals at all six tournaments he has played in Spain in the last four years.
The last time he failed to reach this stage on home soil was at Madrid in 2021, when he was defeated by his idol Rafael Nadal in the round of 32.