Carlos Alcaraz was one game away from being dragged into a deciding set in Vienna on Tuesday. Karen Khachanov, who had just saved three match points, was serving for the second set at 6-5. The Spaniard, seed No. 2, broke him to love and took the tiebreak 7-5 to beat the Russian 6-4, 7-6 (5) and reach the last 16 of the Erste Bank Open.

Alcaraz will next face Austrian wildcard Jurij Rodionov or Georgian Nikoloz Basilashvili.

“It was really, really close. In the first set, and I managed to turn around the situation, Alcaraz said. But I was playing good. I would say it was about a few points, and I think that’s tennis. If you win the important points when it matters, everything can change, everything can turn around, and you can feel better.”

From 6-5 down, Alcaraz played tennis of another order, the kind that left a former world No. 8 without answers. When the Spaniard lifts his game, no one on the tour can live with him.

“I just made that pass, and I don’t know, to be honest, how I did it. But it’s just about a few points. I’m just really happy that I played great tennis and I took the chances that he [gave] me in the match.”

Khachanov had earned his chance the hard way. Serving at 4-5, he saved three match points, at 15-40, 30-40 and on Alcaraz’s advantage, before breaking the Spaniard from 30-30 in the next game to lead 6-5. Until then, the second set had gone with serve, although Khachanov had to save two break points at 2-3.

The balls become super fluffy, to be honest, and sometimes it’s really difficult to generate power off it.

The opening set had swung on breaks. Khachanov broke first for 3-2, and Alcaraz hit back immediately from 40-0 down. Khachanov saved a break point in a long game at 3-4 to stay level. At 4-5 the Russian led 40-30 on his serve, and the Spaniard took the next three points to seal the set.

Alcaraz now leads Khachanov 7-0 in their head-to-head. It is the fifth time he has beaten an opponent seven times, after Jannik Sinner (10), Lorenzo Musetti, Tommy Paul and Alexander Zverev. Their closest previous meeting came in the Doha quarterfinals this season, which Alcaraz won 6-7 (3), 6-4, 6-3.

The world No. 3 has now won 22 consecutive matches at ATP 500 level and is 10-0 in opening rounds this season. He is playing in Vienna for only the second time, after reaching the semifinals as an 18-year-old in 2021.

“The conditions were great. The balls become super fluffy, to be honest, and sometimes it’s really difficult to generate power off it. But I would say it’s a good surface, and I liked it.”