Carlos Alcaraz won a dramatic three-set battle against fellow Spaniard Jaume Munar at the HSBC Championships, prevailing 6-4, 6-7(7), 7-5 after three hours and 23 minutes of gruelling tennis.
The world number two squandered two match points in the second-set tie-break before finding himself trailing 2-4 in the decisive set.
Yet the 22-year-old mounted a remarkable comeback, winning five of the final six games to secure victory on the hottest day of the year, with temperatures reaching 32 degrees in west London.
The triumph extends Alcaraz's winning streak to 15 consecutive matches, marking the longest run of his career.
Carlos Alvaraz escaped a major shock after beating Jaume Munar 6-4, 6-7(7), 7-5
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Speaking on court after his victory, Alcaraz admitted he was unsure how he had managed to prevail: "It was a really tough battle that we had today.
"He's a great competitor and he showed how difficult it is to beat him.
"I'm proud of the level I showed today. It's my second match on grass this year. There were moments I struggled a lot mentally and physically.
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"I still don't know how I'm standing here."
When asked about his comeback, Alcaraz added: "I don't know. I just kept fighting. I guess I didn't give up.
"Honestly, I was out mentally, but I stayed there and tried to play the points and play my best points from the first set. But I still don't know."
The victory advances Alcaraz to his ninth quarter-final of 2025, where he will face either Reilly Opelka or Arthur Rinderknech for a place in Saturday's semi-finals.
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Since the beginning of the 2023 season, the Spaniard has compiled an impressive 22-1 record on grass courts.
His success on the surface includes his maiden Queen's Club triumph in 2023 and back-to-back Wimbledon titles.
Alcaraz arrived at the HSBC Championships fresh from capturing trophies at the Rome Masters and Roland Garros.
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Carlos Alcaraz admitted 'I was out mentally' during his victory
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The 2023 Queen's Club champion continues to demonstrate his prowess across all surfaces as he pursues another grass-court title.
Despite holding just four tour-level grass-court victories, Munar proved a formidable opponent.
The world number 59 displayed remarkable resilience, particularly in the final set where he reeled off four consecutive games to establish a 4-2 advantage.
The Spaniard struck with impressive depth and precision, thoroughly testing Alcaraz's mental fortitude throughout the encounter.
As the sun began to set over west London, Alcaraz found himself in genuine danger of suffering an upset defeat.
However, the top seed summoned the fighting spirit that had carried him through his epic Roland Garros final against Jannik Sinner a fortnight earlier, ultimately prevailing in this absorbing all-Spanish clash.
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