JAKARTA - World number one Carlos Alcaraz, who is the top seed at the 2026 ATP 500 Qatar Open, was forced to work hard by Arthur Rinderknech from France to reach the second round of the tournament.
Alcaraz, who played his first match in Doha after winning the 2026 Australian Open, took the ticket to the second round through a straight two-set victory 6-4 and 7-6(5) in one hour 47 minutes on Tuesday, February 17, 2026, WIB night.
"This match was very difficult. Arthur is a very dangerous player. No one wants to play against him in the first round," Alcaraz said after the match as reported by the ATP website.
Alcaraz managed to save two set points on serve in the tense second set before winning in the tie-break phase. It was Alcaraz's 150th win on a tour-level hard court and extended his 8-0 win-loss record at the start of the calendar year.
This first-half result gave a good early signal as Alcaraz tried to improve on his debut result in Doha last year. At that time, his journey ended in the quarterfinals, losing to Jiri Lehecka.
"I'm happy with my level of play. I'm happy to be able to get through difficult moments in the game. I'm happy to stay calm and positive, and to play great tennis," said the Spaniard.
Alcaraz will then face another French player, Valentin Royer, in the second round. Royer is currently ranked 60th in the world so Alcaraz is predicted to pass the test.
If he manages to get through the second round, the 22-year-old could face former champion Karen Khachanov in the quarterfinals.
Khachanov, who is seeded seventh, needed three sets to beat Japanese lucky loser Shintaro Mochizuki and advance to the second round.
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