Doha, 21 February (H.S.): World number one Carlos Alcaraz of Spain stormed into the final of the Qatar Open tennis tournament on Friday night, defeating defending champion Andrey Rublev 7-6(3), 6-4. This victory marks Alcaraz's 11th consecutive win in 2026 and his 12th final in the last 13 tournaments, underscoring his remarkable consistency and form.

Rublev mounted fierce resistance in the opening set, rallying from 0-3 down to force a tiebreak despite 14 unforced backhand errors that proved costly. Alcaraz stayed composed to lead 6-3 in the breaker; a frustrated Rublev smashed his racket against his knee, snapping a string, before Alcaraz sealed the set with a stunning forehand.

In the second set, Alcaraz broke serve twice for a 5-3 advantage and served for the match, only for Rublev to save three match points and break back. Undeterred, the 22-year-old Spaniard broke again immediately, converting his sixth match point when Rublev's backhand sailed wide after two hours and two minutes of high-stakes tennis.

Post-match, Alcaraz affirmed his self-belief, stating that striving to improve in every match forms the bedrock of his success; he has reached finals in his last four Grand Slams, winning three. In the other semifinal, France's Arthur Fils overcame Czech Jakub Mensik, setting up an eagerly anticipated title clash on Saturday where Alcaraz aims to extend his dominance.

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Hindusthan Samachar / Jun Sarkar