Carlos Alcaraz Alexander Zverev march into Italian Open last 16

ROME – Carlos Alcaraz hailed his own mental strength, as he joined reigning Italian Open champion Alexander Zverev in the last 16 in Rome after seeing off Laslo Djere 7-6 (7-2),6-2 on May 11.

Four-time Grand Slam champion Alcaraz reached the fourth round at the Foro Italico for the first time after a battle with a spirited Djere.

In the next round on May 13, the Spaniard will face Russian Karen Khachanov, who knocked out Italian wildcard entrant Francesco Passaro 6-3, 6-0.

Alcaraz was playing in his second match since suffering a thigh injury in his Barcelona Open final defeat by Holger Rune on April 20.

And he was not at his best against Djere whose three career tournament wins have all come on clay, his most recent title in March, at the Chile Open in Santiago.

The 22-year-old was broken twice in the first set, which looked like going either way until he took control in the eventual tiebreak, before sweeping Djere aside in the second.

“I just thought that I had to stay there mentally strong, waiting for my chances because I was playing great,” said Alcaraz. “I was playing great, moving, hitting the ball. It was just a few mistakes that I made.

“I was trying to come back from the injury as good as I can and then I got a cold. But once you are on the court you try not to think about those things and just keep going. Sometimes it is difficult, but it’s great having matches in straight sets to save energy for the next matches.”

Zverev, meanwhile, barely broke a sweat against Lithuanian qualifier Vilius Gaubas, easing to a 6-4, 6-0 win to set up a last-16 clash with France’s Arthur Fils.

The world No. 2 took 1hr 26min to