Carlos Alcaraz’s quest for the Qatar Open title came to an abrupt end on Thursday as the top seed suffered a shock quarterfinal defeat to Jiri Lehecka, who mounted a spirited fightback to prevail 6-3, 3-6, 6-4 in Doha.
Ranked No. 3 in the world, Alcaraz had lost only once in 2025 before this encounter, falling to Novak Djokovic in the Australian Open quarterfinals.
The Spaniard, who claimed the Rotterdam Open title earlier this month, appeared to be in control after levelling the match but was ultimately undone by Lehecka’s resilience.
“I've talked with my team, with my coach, and honestly I don't know what I could have done better,” Alcaraz said at the post-match press conference. “Honestly, I don't know. It was kind of a difficult feelings, I guess. I have to give credit to him as well, because when he was down, especially in the third set, he didn't give up.”
Alcaraz led 4-2 in the decisive third set and had a break point on Lehecka’s serve, but the 23-year-old Czech refused to relent. He clawed his way back into the contest and won the next three games to seal a memorable victory.
Landmark victory for Lehecka
“The match was up and down since the beginning,” said Lehecka after his triumph. “So for me to win a match like that against a player like this is a super big achievement. I believed in myself. I knew that I had the level to produce that kind of tennis.”
Also read: Djokovic beats Lehecka, to play against Alcaraz in Aus Open QF
Lehecka, ranked 25th in the world, will now face eighth seed Jack Draper, who staged a comeback of his own to defeat Matteo Berrettini 4-6, 6-4, 6-3.
“I didn't back down,” Lehecka added. “I wanted to push him to his limits. The way I trusted my game was the key today.”
Earlier, fifth-seeded Andrey Rublev survived a tense encounter against second-seeded Alex de Minaur, saving one match point before finally prevailing 6-1, 3-6, 7-6 (8) in a gripping battle. The victory marked Rublev’s fourth semi-final appearance in Doha, where he had claimed the title in 2020.
His next challenge will be Félix Auger-Aliassime, who advanced after his opponent, Daniil Medvedev, retired due to illness. The Russian, who lost the opening set 6-3, later confirmed that food poisoning had forced him to withdraw.
“Unfortunately, I had food poisoning. Very disappointed to end my run here in Doha like this as I feel like I was playing well,” Medvedev said in a statement.
Auger-Aliassime expressed his surprise at Medvedev’s sudden withdrawal.
“I thought he was playing normal until he retired,” said the Canadian. “And then I broke, I held my serve. And he just told (the umpire) that he didn't want to shake our hands because he was sick. I hope it's nothing too bad. I was surprised.”
With the semi-final line-up now complete, all eyes will be on whether Lehecka can build on his stunning victory over Alcaraz and continue his remarkable run in Doha.
Also read: Carlos Alcaraz targets Grand Slam glory with Australian Open
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