Mentally strong Alcaraz 'playing great' in straight-set victory

Carlos Alcaraz hailed his own mental strength, as he joined reigning Italian Open champion Alexander Zverev in the last 16 in Rome after seeing off Laslo Djere 7-6 (7-2), 6-2 on May 11.

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Four-time Grand Slam champion Alcaraz reached the fourth round at the Foro Italico for the first time after a battle with a spirited Djere.

In the next round on May 13, the Spaniard will face Russian Karen Khachanov, who knocked out Italian wildcard entrant Francesco Passaro 6-3, 6-0.

Alcaraz was playing in his second match since suffering a thigh injury in his Barcelona Open final defeat by Holger Rune on April 20.

And he was not at his best against Djere whose three career tournament wins have all come on clay, his most recent title in March, at the Chile Open in Santiago.

The 22-year-old was broken twice in the first set, which looked like going either way until he took control in the eventual tiebreak, before sweeping Djere aside in the second.