The multiple Grand Slam champion defeated qualifier and world number 130 Ott Virtanen 2:0 – 6:4, 6:2 after an hour and 25 minutes of tennis.
In the first set, Karlitos struggled on his serve, saving break points, and then, with a 5:4 lead, he used the second set point and won the opening part of the game.
The Spaniard opened the second set with a break, leading 2:0, but the Finn responded with a rebreak and reduced the lead to 2:1. However, Alcaraz then won three games in a row and paved his way to the round of 16.
There, he will face Czech Tomaš Mahač, who knocked out the diminutive Argentine Sebastian Baez in three sets.
Alcaraz won this tournament in 2022 and 2023, and last year he was stopped in the final by Holger Rune, who is not defending his title due to a knee injury.
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