Carlos Alcaraz posts hard-fought first-round win at Doha
Jan 22, 2025; Melbourne, Victoria, Australia; Carlos Alcaraz of Spain gestures during his match against Novak Djokovic of Serbia in the quarterfinals of the men's singles at the 2025 Australian Open at Melbourne Park. Mandatory Credit: Mike Frey-Imagn Images World No. 3 Carlos Alcaraz found himself trailing in the second set to Croatia's Marin Cilic, but battled back for a 6-4, 6-4 win Monday in the opening round at the Qatar ExxonMobil Open in Doha.
With Cilic -- the former World No. 3 -- on the verge of taking a 5-3 lead in the second set, Alcaraz rebounded while serving at 0-40 down and notched 14 of the next 19 points to seal the victory. Alcaraz, who saved five of six break points, will face World No. 7 Novak Djokovic of Croatia if both reach the semifinals.
Czech Jiri Lehecka upset No. 7 seed Grigor Dimitrov of Bulgaria 6-4, 6-4, taking 35 of 40 first-serve points (88 percent) and saving both break points he faced. Other first-round winners included No. 8 seed Jack Draper of Great Britain, Fabian Marozsan of Hungary and Australia's Christopher O'Connell.
--Field Level Media
- MLB Predictions and Best Bets for Saturday's Biggest Games
- UFC Vegas 118 Betting Picks: Three Fights to Target on Saturday Night
- MLB Picks Today: Two Pitchers Set Up To Fall Short On Outs Props
- MLB Pitcher Props Today: Best Bets for June 3rd
- NBA Finals Game 1 Best Bets: Knicks vs. Spurs Predictions and Player Props
- Stanley Cup Final Game 1 Best Bets: Hurricanes vs. Golden Knights Picks
- Knicks vs. Spurs Game 1 Props: Three Best Bets for the NBA Finals
