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Manila Bulletin devider Sports devider Carlos Alcaraz stuns by Czech rival in Qatar Open quarters

Carlos Alcaraz stuns by Czech rival in Qatar Open quarters

Published Feb 21, 2025 07:09 am

At A Glance

  • Top-seeded Carlos Alcaraz lost for just the second time this year on Thursday, Feb. 20, when 25th-ranked Jiri Lehecka beat him, 6-3, 3-6, 6-4, in the quarterfinals of the Qatar Open.

DOHA, Qatar (AP) — Top-seeded Carlos Alcaraz lost for just the second time this year on Thursday, Feb. 20, when 25th-ranked Jiri Lehecka beat him, 6-3, 3-6, 6-4, in the quarterfinals of the Qatar Open.

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Spain's  Carlos Alcaraz (AP)

Alcaraz's only other defeat in 2025 was to Novak Djokovic in the Australian Open quarterfinals. The 21-year-old Spaniard, ranked No. 3, won the Rotterdam Open earlier this month.

“I’ve talked with my team, with my coach, and honestly I don’t know what I could have done better,” Alcaraz said in a press conference. “Honestly, I don’t know. It was kind of a difficult feelings, I guess. I have to give credit to him as well, because when he was down, especially in the third set, he didn’t give up."

Alcaraz led 4-2 in the third set and had a break point on Lehecka's serve, but couldn't finish off the Czech, who won the next three games to advance to the semifinals.

The 23-year-old Lehecka will next play eighth-seeded Jack Draper, who knocked out Matteo Berrettini 4-6, 6-4, 6-3.

“The match was up and down since the beginning,” Lehecka said after beating Alcaraz. “So for me to win a match like that against a player like this is a super big achievement. I believed in myself. I knew that I had the level to produce that kind of tennis.

“I didn't back down,” he continued. “I wanted to push him to his limits. The way I trusted my game was the key today.”

Earlier, fifth-seeded Andrey Rublev saved one match point and needed eight of his own to subdue second-seeded Alex de Minaur 6-1, 3-6, 7-6 (8). Rublev reached his fourth semifinals in Doha, where he won the title in 2020.

He'll next face Canada’s Félix Auger-Aliassime, who beat Daniil Medvedev when the Russian retired after losing the first set 6-3.

“Unfortunately, I had food poisoning. Very disappointed to end my run here in Doha like this as I feel like I was playing well,” Medvedev said in a statement.

Auger-Aliassime said on court he thought Medvedev was “playing normal” until he retired.

“And then I broke, I held my serve. And he just told (the umpire) that he didn’t want to shake our hands because he was sick. I hope it’s nothing too bad. I was surprised,” the Canadian said.

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Carlos Alcaraz ANDREY RUBLEV
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