Carlos Alcaraz will face Arthur Fils in the final in Doha. At the time of the draw, tennis observers expected a final between the Spaniard and Jannik Sinner, who was also in Qatar after his semifinal run at the Australian Open.
But the world No. 2 fell in the quarterfinals to Jakub Mensik (7-6, 2-6, 6-3). After his victory against Andrey Rublev this Friday in the semifinals, Alcaraz was asked about his rival's defeat the day before, Tennis world reported.
Cralos said, “There are players who, when they have a good day, can be dangerous. The truth is, it surprised me. I'm not going to lie: someone like Jannik (Sinner) doesn't usually lose many matches, and even less so before the semifinals or final.”
“It's rare to see him eliminated so early; he hasn't accustomed us to that. But at the same time, it doesn't completely surprise me. There are players who, when they have a good day, can be very dangerous. Mensik, for example, has a very high level. What gives him the most trouble is consistency, maintaining that level over several matches. But on a good day, he can beat anyone. He proved that yesterday against Jannik,” he added.
Carlos Alcaraz will chase his first Doha title against Arthur Fils on Saturday, February 21.
