Alcaraz edges past Basilashvili in tiebreak to reach Vienna quarter-finals

Carlos Alcaraz reached the quarter-finals of the Vienna Open with a 6-1 7-6 (13-11) win over Nikoloz Basilashvili, needing a marathon second-set tiebreak to see off a stubborn Georgian challenge, according to Sky Sports Tennis.

The world No 3 cruised through the opening set but was dragged into a tense finish as Basilashvili forced the decider all the way to 13-11 before Alcaraz closed it out.

Daniil Medvedev also advanced on the same day, beating Cameron Norrie to reach the Vienna quarter-finals.

The run extends a notable return to Vienna for Alcaraz, who is playing the tournament for the first time in five years. He appeared there in 2021 before cracking the world's top 30; he comes back now as a seven-time Grand Slam champion and the event's No 2 seed, having accepted a late wildcard into the draw, Yahoo Sports reported.

His route to the last eight began with a first-round win over Karen Khachanov, taken 6-4, 7-6 in front of a packed Vienna crowd, Tennis365 reported.

Alcaraz had never previously dropped a set to Khachanov across six prior meetings, though their last two encounters both went the distance, and indoor hard court remains the one surface Alcaraz has yet to truly master, with only a single title there, at the 2025 Rotterdam Open.

Speaking after beating Khachanov, Alcaraz praised the Vienna atmosphere. "It was amazing. It was amazing, to be honest. I didn't really know why I loved playing here in 2021. I left the court, left this tournament, thinking this crowd has something special. I experienced that today. Packed stadium. It was incredible," he said, as quoted by Tennis365.

He added: "I really enjoyed it, even though I had to run, I had to fight, I had to sweat a lot. But I enjoyed. We both played great stuff, great points. I would say it was a great match to watch, so really happy about it. I was playing great. I was playing good."

Alcaraz also reflected on missed opportunities to close out that first-round contest earlier, having held match points at 6-5 in the second set. "Those match points, I would say I could play them a little bit better. I would say I overplayed a couple of match points. And then it was a few mistakes, but I was still happy," he said.

He continued: "I'm pleased about the level I was playing. Still fighting, still being strong mentally, and trying to give myself other chances. I think I did it in the 6-5, took the break point I had, happy about it, and I would say it was a good tie-break."

Having come through that test and then survived the tiebreak scare against Basilashvili, Alcaraz moves into the quarter-finals as he continues preparations for the ATP Finals later this season.