World number two Carlos Alcaraz is through to the last eight of the Barcelona Open following a straight-set win over Laslo Djere, while Andrey Rublev’s title ambitions have been cut short.
Alcaraz, bidding for a third title in four years at the tournament, put up a brilliant display – winning the first five games and producing eight winners in a dominant first set – on his way to a comfortable 6-2 6-4 victory against the unseeded Djere.
The 21-year-old Spanish top seed will now play fifth seed Alex de Minaur on Friday for a place in the semi-final after the Australian romped to a 6-1, 6-2 thrashing of Britain’s Jacob Fearnley.
Elsewhere in Barcelona, Russian fourth seed Andrey Rublev is out of the tournament after losing 7-5, 6-4 to unseeded Spaniard Alejandro Davidovich Fokina.
Davidovich Fokina will face unseeded Karen Khachanov in the quarter-finals after the Russian defeated Spain’s Jaume Munar 7-5, 6-4 margin.