Carlos Alcaraz needed three sets to defeat Tomas Martin Etcheverry in the Monte-Carlo Masters round of 16.
The Spaniard dropped the second set to the Argentine before rallying to take the decider and earn a place in the quarter-finals.
Alcaraz will now play Alexander Bublik for the first time as he looks to defend his title at the Monte-Carlo Masters.
After his hard-fought win against Etcheverry, he took to Instagram to send a message to his battling opponent.
Carlos Alcaraz’s message to Tomas Martin Etcheverry
In Spanish, the world number one commented on Etcheverry’s Instagram post following the defeat in Monte-Carlo.
The Spaniard sent a classy message to his opponent, commenting: “Tomi, great match. What a champ you are.”
Carlos Alcaraz concedes Jannik Sinner will become world number one!
Will it happen this week in Monte Carlo?
Alcaraz and Etcheverry were playing for the first time since 2020 when they met at a Challenger event in Trieste.
The Spaniard won that tie too, defeating Etcheverry in straight sets by a scoreline of 7-6 6-3 on outdoor clay.
Etcheverry has moved to world number 29 in the rankings thanks to his displays at the Monte-Carlo Masters.
Carlos Alcaraz showcased a big worry against Etcheverry
Alcaraz is yet to hit his best form in Monte-Carlo, which is understandable following the transition from hardcourts.
However, Alcaraz showcased a real worry during his second set meltdown against the tricky clay court specialist.
Will Jannik Sinner overtake Carlos Alcaraz and become world number one? 🤔
If so, when will he do it?
The world number one hit a worrying 23 unforced errors as he dropped his first set of the clay court season.
While he was able to bounce back and win the next set, against the top players he would surely be punished.
Even Alcaraz’s next opponent, Bublik, will surely make him pay if he continues to make so many errors per set.
