Qatar Open Doha Round-Up | Jaw-dropping Jannik Sinner exit while gritty Alcaraz secures hard-fought win

The quarterfinals of the ATP 500 Qatar Open Doha were defined, and the big surprise of the tournament arrived with the defeat of Jannik Sinner, at the hands of the young Czech Jakub Mensik – who achieves the best triumph of his career, at least in terms of his rival’s ranking.

Meanwhile, Carlos Alcaraz had to work extra hard to advance after a gritty clash against Karen Khachanov, while Andrey Rublev and Arthur Fils joined the semifinalists this time.

World No. 14 Andrey Rublev took the victory against a complicated rival like Stefanos Tsitsipas (No. 33) in straight sets. A duel between two players of the same generation who have been at the top level for a decade – remaining for several years in the top 10 and even facing each other in several ATP Finals – and who are currently fighting to return to their best level and advanced ranking positions. It had been more than three years since their last encounter, and Rublev managed to even the head-to-head at 6-6, after a hard-fought victory by 6-3, 7-6(2).

With few differences in terms of numbers, the defending champion was more effective at the crucial moments of the match, taking advantage of 2/2 break points in his favor, while saving the five opportunities his rival, Tsitsipas, created. The Russian secured two breaks in the first set, giving him the advantage 6-3 after 43 minutes.

In the second set, Tsitsipas managed to balance things more, and after a first set in which he couldn’t win the key points, this time he maintained his composure under pressure. Both players won over 80% of points with the first serve and over 60% with the second. It was a set without any break point opportunities from either side and that ended up decided in the tie-break, where Rublev handled the pressure better – and after two early mini-breaks, closed the victory 6-3, 7-6(2).

After months away from the courts, Arthur Fils (No. 40) once again achieved a great result on the Tour after a long time. The French former world No. 14 defeated 8th seed Jiri Lehecka (No. 22) 6-3, 6-3, his third consecutive triumph.

The Czech seemed favored against a Fils who is still in the process of returning – just a few weeks back in competition and perhaps without enough match rhythm. Nevertheless, he secured an important victory, winning 70% of points on his first serve – against only 51% for Lehecka.

It was a start in which both had break opportunities, but Fils took the lead. The Frenchman secured an early break while saving up to three break points in the first 10 minutes of the match. Fils went ahead 3-0 and was on his way in the first set. The advantage grew when he earned a second break and was serving to close the set at 5-1. Although Lehecka responded by recovering one break, it was not enough for a comeback, and Fils held serve on his next chance, winning the set 6-3.

The second set started with exchanged breaks: first Fils and then Lehecka, keeping parity at the start. However, the Czech was far from his usual serving consistency, while Fils continued with short points and strong first serves. Lehecka eventually lost control of the match when leading 2-1, and Fils won five of the next six games to secure the victory. A promising tournament for the Frenchman, who will aim to reach the 5th final of his career – and the first since winning the title in Japan 2024.

Carlos Alcaraz had to fight from a set down to overcome Karen Khachanov (No. 17) in a three-set duel. The world No. 1 even wasted a set point in the first set, before the Russian took the lead in the tie-break. Nevertheless, the Spaniard found solutions to Khachanov’s consistency and finished securing a hard-fought victory 6-7, 6-4, 6-3.

The seven-time Grand Slam champion suffered from unforced errors, especially in the first set. Despite his usual aggressiveness, his 41 winners were overshadowed by 34 unforced errors – a number far from his usual standard, though he remained sharp in the crucial points. Alcaraz converted 3/10 break points in his favor, while Khachanov could not capitalize on any of the three opportunities he had.

The second and third sets maintained a similar tone – tight starts with both defending their service until Alcaraz broke in the middle of the set – both times in the 5th game. From the 3-2 advantage, Alcaraz held serve and did not get additional breaks, closing each set holding his serve. The 22-year-old advances to the semifinals in Doha, where he will face none other than Andrey Rublev.

The close of the day delivered the biggest surprise of the quarterfinals: the elimination of world No. 2 Jannik Sinner at the hands of consistent Jakub Mensik, who seems to have taken a step forward this year, with great results in the first months.

The Czech – who suffered an injury that forced him to retire from the Australian Open mid-tournament – showed greater maturity over the last year and took advantage of a less-than-ideal day for the four-time Grand Slam champion.

The Czech was more aggressive than his rival on this occasion, provoking constant errors from Sinner and competing on equal terms in rallies. Sinner was erratic, and at times his first serve did not make enough impact, facing a Mensik who is getting stronger from the baseline and has shown he is not just a serve-bot. Mensik converted 2 breaks in two opportunities, while Sinner wasted his only break chance in the match.

A concerning defeat for Sinner, especially because he was far from his usual level, and Mensik exposed the Italian’s weaknesses, constantly forcing him to approach the net at critical moments – one of Mensik’s key strategies this time. The Czech took the victory 7-6(3), 2-6, 6-3 and reaches the semifinals of a tournament for the second time this season – after winning the ASB Classic in Auckland earlier this year.