Alcaraz makes a solid comeback against Djere and reaches the round of 16 at the Rome Masters 1000 (6-7, 2-6)

Spanish tennis player Carlos Alcaraz defeated Serbian Laslo Djere (6-7, 2-6) on Sunday to reach the round of 16 of the Rome tournament , the fifth ATP Masters 1000 of the season, capable of rising like a giant in the face of adversity. The Murcian, in his second participation in the Italian event, took a while to find his way into the night session at the Foro Italico .

Alcaraz arrived early at the training ground, ready to watch the Clásico between Barça and Real Madrid , and when his turn came nine hours later, he had to fight against the current in the first set. However, the four-time Grand Slam champion rallied, once again displaying his grandfather's motto, the three Cs, tattooed on his face.

Alcaraz, who will now face Russian Karen Khachanov, didn't throw in the towel despite his shots failing to respond. There were many unforced errors while Djere seemed to find his lines with ease. The Serb hit twice, twice he went up for a break , but the Spaniard turned them around both times to force a tie-break, in which he took control and never let go.

The reaction at the right moment

Despite being down 1-3, or seeing his opponent serving to close out the set, the El Palmar native gritted his teeth until, in tiebreak, Djere began to feel the Spaniard's power up close. Alcaraz's level grew, and he began to slide on the Italian center's clay to a stern 4-0 victory, with spectacular points that lifted the crowd and undermined his opponent.

The Serbian shook off his opponent's reaction as best he could and once again threatened his serve, but the Spaniard held his serve en route to his second win of the week in Rome. This season's champion in Monte Carlo, a finalist in Barcelona and a no-show in Madrid due to injury, confirmed his fitness, as required by a Roman tournament packed with favorites like Jannik Sinner and Alexander Zverev.