Carlos Alcaraz and Luca Nardi have known each other for years! Two coevals battled in younger junior categories when they were 13 and 14. The Spaniard and the Italian embraced their first professional match in the second round in Doha.

World No. 3 Alcaraz took on No. 25 Jiri Lehecka in the quarterfinals. Lehecka overpowered Alcaraz throughout the two-hour, nine-minute match, taking the win in three

Alcaraz meets the Czech Republic’s Jiri Lehecka for a place in the last four on Feb 20. Read more at straitstimes.com.

Top-seeded Carlos Alcaraz lost for just the second time this year when 25th-ranked Jiri Lehecka beat him in the quarterfinals of the Qatar Open.

Carlos Alcaraz withstood a spirited fightback from Italian qualifier Luca Nardi to seal his place in the quarter-finals of the Qatar Open on Wednesday. At the Australian Open he bumped up against eventual winner Jannik Sinner in the last eight and in Rotterdam earlier this month he went all the way to the final before succumbing in three sets to Alcaraz.