Carlos Alcaraz Survives Scare Against Marin Cilic in Doha

World No. 3 Carlos Alcaraz faced a tough test against former top-ranked player Marin Cilic but emerged victorious 6-4, 6-4 in the opening round of the Qatar ExxonMobil Open in Doha on Monday.

Cilic, once ranked No. 3 in the world, came close to taking a 5-3 lead in the second set. The Croatian had Alcaraz on the ropes at 0-40 while serving, but the Spanish star fought back, winning 14 of the next 19 points to complete the straight-set victory.

Alcaraz, who is aiming to continue his strong form, saved five of six break points while maintaining control in key moments. His powerful baseline game and resilience proved too much for the 35-year-old Cilic.

Alcaraz could face World No. 7 Novak Djokovic in the semifinals, provided both players advance through their respective draws.

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Other Qatar ExxonMobil Open First-Round Results:

Jiri Lehecka (Czech Republic) upset No. 7 seed Grigor Dimitrov (Bulgaria) 6-4, 6-4, winning 88% (35 of 40) of first-serve points and saving both break points.
No. 8 seed Jack Draper (Great Britain) advanced.
Fabian Marozsan (Hungary) claimed a straight-sets win.
Christopher O’Connell (Australia) also moved into the second round.

Rio Open: Qualifier Chun-Hsin Tseng Shocks No. 3 Seed Alejandro Tabilo

At the Rio Open, Taiwanese qualifier Chun-Hsin Tseng pulled off a major upset, defeating No. 3 seed Alejandro Tabilo (Chile) 6-2, 7-5.

Tseng, ranked No. 125 in the world, dominated on serve, recording a 6-0 edge in aces and completing the win in 1 hour, 36 minutes.

Other Rio Open Results:

Nicolas Jarry (Chile, No. 6 seed) rallied past Argentine qualifier Juan Manuel Cerundolo 4-6, 6-3, 6-4.
Brazil’s Thiago Monteiro was the only home player to advance, edging Facundo Diaz Acosta (Argentina) 3-6, 6-3, 7-6 (3).
Alexander Shevchenko (Kazakhstan) defeated Brazilian Felipe Meligeni Alves 6-4, 6-2.
Francisco Comesana (Argentina) battled past Gustavo Heide (Brazil) 7-6 (2), 6-7 (7), 6-3.
Jaume Munar (Spain) overcame Thiago Seyboth Wild (Brazil) 6-4, 3-6, 6-0.

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Looking Ahead

With top seeds advancing, the stage is set for thrilling second-round action in both Doha and Rio de Janeiro. Can Alcaraz maintain his momentum and set up a potential clash with Djokovic? Will Tseng continue his Cinderella run in Rio? Stay tuned for more ATP updates.