World No. 1 Carlos Alcaraz needed six match points to finally defeat defending champion Andrey Rublev 7-6 (7/3), 6-4 on Friday and reach the final of the Qatar Open.
This is Alcaraz’s first tournament since winning the Australian Open earlier this month to complete his career Grand Slam.
In the final, he will face France’s Arthur Fils.
Fils, 21, beat sixth seed Jakub Mensik 6-4, 7-6 (7/4) in the semi-finals. Mensik had earlier shocked world No. 2 Jannik Sinner in the quarterfinals.
Alcaraz’s match against Rublev lasted just over two hours. With this win, he extended his unbeaten run this season to 11 matches.
“The way that I am approaching every match, I’m just really proud about it,” said the seven-time Grand Slam winner.
“It’s something I am trying to be better at and it’s paying off. I’m proud of myself (for) getting better and maturing.”
The Spaniard had some tense moments. He failed twice to serve out the first set and lost a 3-0 lead in the second. He also missed three match points while serving at 5-3. But he stayed calm and finally won the match on his sixth match point to reach his first final in Doha.
“If you want to find a solution to a problem, you should find it in a calm place,” said Alcaraz who needed three sets to get past former champion Karen Khachanov in the quarterfinals.
“It’s something I am working on. When I am playing and getting mad, seeing I’m not at my best, I just get frustrated. That is not the place you will find solutions.
“In these matches, I have been really calm, thinking clearly and being positive. It’s in those places where you can find the solutions to a problem.”
In the other semi-final, Fils reached his first tour-level final since winning the Tokyo title in 2024.
He is currently ranked 40 in the world and recently returned from an eight-month break due to a back injury.
“It’s been a tough journey,” said Fils, who is playing just his third event since returning after eight months on the sidelines with a back injury.
“Eight months without playing tennis, just watching the other guys battling… Staying in my bed and doing recovery was very long.
“My team knows how tough it was, but now it feels even better when I am coming back like this. To be back in a final, it means a lot.”
Fils recently added former Wimbledon champion Goran Ivanisevic to his coaching team. He believes he has a chance against Alcaraz, even though he has lost both of their previous matches, which were played on clay.
“If you believe, then maybe you can do it, so I believe 100 per cent,” said Fils. “Let’s see tomorrow on the court but for sure I am coming on court to fight.”
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