Alcaraz Triumphs over Lehecka, Clinches First Grass Court Quarter-Final at Queen’s

The Cinch Championships at Queen’s Club
Location: Queen’s Club, London Dates: 17-25 June
Coverage: Live broadcasting on BBC Two and streaming available on the Sport News Center’s website and app, including selected live text commentaries.

The top seed, Carlos Alcaraz, made it to his first ever grass court quarter-final at Queen’s after defeating Jiri Lehecka in a straight-set triumph.

At the age of 20, Alcaraz masterfully overpowered his 21-year-old opponent from the Czech Republic, scoring 6-2 6-3.

“The outcomes alter after this match, I believe I’m primed to achieve remarkable results on grass,” remarked the Spanish tennis player, ranked second globally.

Queen’s represents only the third grass court tournament for the US Open champion and recent French Open semi-finalist.

Alcaraz, who has clinched a Grand Slam title and been ranked number one globally this year, is debuting at Queen’s, having previously competed at Wimbledon in 2021 and 2022.

“I’m really pleased with my performance today. It was a rock-solid match. I’m having a great time playing here, and I’m delighted with my first quarter-final,” he shared after his victorious game.

After securing an early break in a challenging second game, Alcaraz demonstrated his growing comfort on the grass court with a dominant win in the opening set. He then managed to save three break points at 3-1 in the second set.

Despite a minor hiccup with a long forehand on match point during Lehecka’s service game, Alcaraz served out the match, thereby guaranteeing his spot in the last eight.

Prior to the tournament, Alcaraz acknowledged that he needed to enhance his agility on grass. His first match in London against Arthur Rinderknech, a French lucky loser, stretched to three sets. Yet he welcomed the prospect of shorter matches following the first-round challenge, even as he sought to gain as much experience as possible on the surface. His victory over Lehecka was swift, clocking in at just one hour and 25 minutes.

With his quarter-final berth secured, Alcaraz is now ready to recalibrate his expectations. His next challenge will be against either Bulgarian player Grigor Dimitrov or Francisco Cerundolo, the Argentine eighth seed.

“The first quarter-final is something I’ll cherish, it’s a magnificent place to play and I’m relishing every moment. I’ll enter the next round brimming with confidence and prepared to give it my all,” stated the Spanish prodigy.

In related news, Australian seventh seed Alex de Minaur, who previously ousted Britain’s Andy Murray, recorded another decisive victory, reaching the Queen’s quarter-finals for a second time.

De Minaur, currently the 18th-ranked player in the world, breezed past Argentine Diego Schwartzman 6-2 6-2 in a mere 63 minutes. As the 2021 Eastbourne champion, he continues to display strong performance on grass.

The 24-year-old will face France’s Adrian Mannarino, the world’s 46th-ranked player, in the last eight following his win over the American third seed, Taylor Fritz 6-4 7-6 (9-7).

Live scores, results and the order of play can be found on the official website and app.
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• Carlos Alcaraz’s profile on ATP Tour
• Cinch Championships at Queen’s Club
• Jiri Lehecka’s profile on ATP Tour
• Alex de Minaur’s profile on ATP Tour
• Grigor Dimitrov’s profile on ATP Tour
• Francisco Cerundolo’s profile on ATP Tour