Carlos Alcaraz fights back to continue strong form in Madrid

The Spaniard battled past Karen Khachanov to reach the semi-finals

Carlos Alcaraz overcame a second-set wobble against Karen Khachanov (EPA)

World No 2 Carlos Alcaraz produced a second-set fightback to defeat Karen Khachanov and secure his place in the semi-finals of the Madrid Open.

Defending champion Alcaraz is bidding for successive ATP Tour titles after winning in Barcelona last week.

The 19-year-old Spaniard took the opening set against 10th seed Khachanov with a single break in the seventh game.

Alcaraz, the tournament’s top seed, then rallied from 5-2 down to reel off the next five games and complete a 6-4 7-5 win.

“Winning this match gives me a lot of confidence,” Alcaraz said. “Karen had been playing at a high level and took me to the limit, it was decided by small details.

“I will train for Friday [the semi-final], but with a lot of tranquillity and calm, I will not be overwhelmed and I have to be fresh.”

In the quarter-finals of the WTA event at the Caja Magica, Veronika Kudermetova battled past third seed Jessica Pegula 6-4 0-6 6-4.

It was a seventh career win over a top-five ranked player, as the 12th-seeded Russian defeated the American world number three, last year’s finalist, in just over two hours.

“I feel so happy and proud of myself, because every match I played three sets,” Kudermetova said.