Alejandro Tabilo Reaches Rome Open Quarter-Finals

Alejandro Tabilo (26) continued his impressive run at the Rome Open by defeating Karen Khachanov (27) 7-6(5), 7-6(10) on Tuesday, securing a place in the quarter-finals. This follows his stunning victory over Novak Djokovic (36) on Sunday.

Chile’s Tabilo shocked the tennis world by beating the 24-time Grand Slam champion Djokovic in straight sets. He advanced to the Foro Italico last eight after an entertaining match in which Khachanov played a significant role.

What it means ?

Tabilo getting all the feels ?@InteBNLdItalia | #IBI24 pic.twitter.com/ySJFH752Ro
— ATP Tour (@atptour) May 14, 2024

This marks Tabilo’s first quarter-final appearance at a Masters 1000 event. He will compete for a spot in the semi-finals against either China’s Zhang Zhizhen or qualifier Thiago Monteiro.

Unlike his match against Djokovic, Tabilo faced a tougher challenge against 18th-ranked Khachanov, known for his six hard-court tour titles.

Tennis Result

Some spicy matchups today ?️

T. Fritz v G. Dimitrov
A. Tabilo v K. Khachanov
Z. Zhang v T. Monteiro
A. Zverev v N. Borges
N. Jarry v A. Muller
T. Paul v D. Medvedev
H. Hurkacz v S. Baez
S. Tsitsipas v A. De Minaur@InteBNLdItalia | #IBI24 pic.twitter.com/eiyeoNTUb0
— ATP Tour (@atptour) May 14, 2024

The second set tie-break was particularly thrilling, featuring 11 service breaks, two set points for Khachanov, and five match points for Tabilo, who celebrated joyously after securing victory with a volley.

Following Tabilo’s match, women’s world number one Iga Swiatek and Alexander Zverev are set to take center court. Zverev will face unseeded Nuno Borges in the men’s last 16 for a quarter-final clash with Taylor Fritz, who defeated eighth seed Grigor Dimitrov 6-2, 6-7 (11/13), 6-1.

Top seed Swiatek, aiming for her third Rome title, will play American Madison Keys in the quarter-finals as she prepares for her French Open title defense later this month. The three-time Roland Garros champion is yet to drop a set and recently won her third WTA 1000 title of the season in Madrid.

The winner of Swiatek’s match will face either Zheng Qinwen or third seed Coco Gauff, who play in the final match of the day on center court.

In the men’s draw, Daniil Medvedev will face Tommy Paul after a challenging match against qualifier Hamad Medjedovic on Monday. Medvedev has a strong chance to retain his title in a tournament now missing several top players, including Holger Rune, Jannik Sinner, and Carlos Alcaraz.

Sixth seed and reigning Monte Carlo champion Stefanos Tsitsipas is also aiming to capitalize on the open field as he takes on Australia’s Alex de Minaur.