Alcaraz marks Doha debut with hard-fought victory over Cilic
Carlos Alcaraz marked his debut at the Qatar Open with a straight-sets victory over Marin Cilic.
Alcaraz, who emerged victorious at the recent Rotterdam Open, continued his strong start to the 2025 season with a 6-4 6-4 victory in one hour and 13 minutes.
The Spaniard broke his opponent in the opening game of the contest, but saw his advantage immediately wiped out as the pair exchanged blows early on.
But it would be Alcaraz who edged in front in the first set, claiming a decisive break point in the seventh game before seeing out the remainder with relative ease.
The encounter continued to be closely contested, with Cilic missing a glorious opportunity to take the tie the distance.
He failed to convert three break points in the eighth game, allowing Alcaraz to capitalise with a break of his own before seeing out the set.
"I'm really pleased about saving that game and giving myself the opportunity to [stay] alive," said Alcaraz. "Marin puts a lot of pressure when you’re serving, he's a great returner.
"I'm really happy to stay calm in that moment, do my routine and make good shots. I'm really happy to win in two sets."
Alcaraz, the top seed at the tournament, will face either Zhizhen Zhang or qualifier Luca Nardi in the next round.
Happy team Charly @carlosalcaraz opens with a 6-4 6-4 passage past Cilic @QatarTennis | #QatarExxonMobilOpen pic.twitter.com/DS2f0hHAte
— ATP Tour (@atptour) February 17, 2025
Data Debrief: Alcaraz finds his rhythm
Fresh from his victory in Rotterdam, Alcaraz was forced to battle testing conditions to edge past Cilic, and will be hoping for improved displays as the tournament progresses.
Despite improving to 4-1 in his meetings with the Croatian, Alcaraz won just 70% (26/37) of his first-serve points to his opponent's 69% (34/49).
Perhaps crucial was the world number three's resilience when under pressure, saving five of the six break points he faced. Indeed, from 0-40 down, serving at 3-4 in the second set, Alcaraz was able to reel off 14 of the next 17 points, extending his winning streak to six matches.