Carlos Alcaraz's grass conquest continues: Survives scare against Jaume Munar to reach Queen's quarterfinals

Carlos Alcaraz continues his excellent form, reaching 15 consecutive wins after defeating fellow Spaniard Jaume Munar at the Queen's Club Championships with a score of 6-4, 6-7(7), 7-5. The World No. 2 now holds a remarkable 39-5 record for the season (24-1 since the start of the clay-swing).

The five-time Grand Slam champion faced an opponent who played one of the best matches of his career, but it wasn't enough to deliver an upset. The second set bordered on epic, lasting over an hour and 40 minutes. Carlitos has advanced to the tournament quarterfinals and is waiting to find out his next opponent between Reilly Opelka and Arthur Rinderknech.

The Spaniard didn't have a great start on serve, appearing somewhat uncomfortable and not even reaching 50% first serves in. However, it mattered little, as consistent with his form over recent months, Alcaraz continued to display high effectiveness on serve, giving his opponent few chances. Alcaraz capitalized on his first break opportunity from the return and secured an early break in the third game.

The Spaniard was much more aggressive than his rival – hitting 15 winners compared to Munar's mere 6 – and held onto his advantage without even offering break chances. Alcaraz won 92% of points on his first serve and 60% on his second, making it nearly impossible for Munar to challenge him on return. In fact, there were no further break points for either player during the remainder of the set, and Alcaraz sealed the 6-4 advantage on his second set point, after 47 minutes.

Munar – a renowned clay-court specialist – showed strength on serve and came out to dispute the match with Alcaraz without losing spirit despite the disadvantage. He struggled to hold his serve in the second set but managed to stay alive in the first part, maintaining parity until 2-2. However, his first serve effectiveness dwindled, and Alcaraz increasingly put pressure on his opponent.

They reached 4-4, and the tension began. Munar saved three break points against him to go up 5-4, and then came close to taking the second set in a highly contested Alcaraz service game. The two-time Wimbledon champion overcame as many as four set points against him to stay in the set and level at 5-5. The same happened in his next service turn: he had to save two more set points, struggling particularly with his poor first-serve percentage, barely over 50% first serves in.

Nevertheless, Alcaraz managed to take everything to a tie-break, showcasing his great effectiveness under pressure. The first four points were mini-breaks, maintaining equality until 2-2. Alcaraz had two match points - one of them on his serve - but Munar held on to keep himself in the match and gave a major surpise when he took the set by 7-6[9-7] after one hour and 42 minutes.

The third set was once again a rollercoaster for both players. Alcaraz secured his first break opportunity in the second game, going up 2-0, but then showed weakness on his serve. Munar got two consecutive breaks and turned things around, putting himself in a strong position to win, leading 4-2 with serve.

However, if there's one thing Carlos Alcaraz has shown, it's that you can't count him out until the very last moment. The Spaniard managed to elevate his service level and then break back – reeling off three consecutive games. Defending his serve, the 22-year-old managed to pull ahead to 6-5, at which point Munar faltered.

This time, Alcaraz made his opponent feel the pressure and secured another match point – after squandering two in the second set. Alcaraz converted this time, leaving his opponent empty-handed. It was a 6-4, 6-7(7), 7-5 victory in a remarkable performance from both players, lasting 3 hours and 26 minutes.