DOHA – In an exciting matchup at the Qatar Open, top-seeded Carlos Alcaraz triumphed over Croatian veteran Marin Cilic with a score of 6-4, 6-4 on Monday, advancing to the round of 16.

The 36-year-old Cilic, a former U.S. Open champion from 2014, is currently ranked No. 192 after dealing with a prolonged knee injury. This contest marked his first match of the season, and although he managed to take a lead of 4-3 in the second set and held a 0-40 advantage on Alcaraz’s serve, the seasoned Spanish player rallied to take control of the game, ultimately breaking Cilic’s serve in the following game.

“I am just really happy that I stayed calm at that moment, breathing, going through my routines, making good points,” reflected Alcaraz after his victory. He attributed his success in winning the match in two sets to maintaining his composure during critical moments.

Looking ahead, Alcaraz is set to face either Zhang Zhizhen from China or Italy’s Luca Nardi in the upcoming round.

In another match during the tournament, seventh-seeded Grigor Dimitrov was eliminated after losing 6-4, 6-4 to Jiri Lehecka.

Several other notable players are scheduled to play their opening matches on Tuesday. Second-seeded Alex de Minaur will compete against Roman Safiullin, and former top-ranked player Novak Djokovic, who withdrew from his Australian Open semifinal due to a hamstring issue, will square off against Matteo Berrettini. Additionally, Daniil Medvedev, Andrey Rublev, and Stefano Tsitsipas will also be in action on Tuesday, heightening the tournament’s excitement as the competition progresses.