Carlos Alcaraz, 23, will next face Georgian Nikoloz Basilashvili or local player Jurij Rodionov in the round of 16. (EPA Images pic)VIENNA: Carlos Alcaraz won his opening match at the Vienna Open on Tuesday with a straight-sets victory over Karen Khachanov, while Alexander Zverev survived four match points to beat Martin Landaluce in a marathon encounter.
World number three Alcaraz saw off the former eighth-ranked Russian 6-4, 7-6 (7/5) in their first-round meeting.
The seven-time Grand Slam champion decided to add the 500-level event in the Austrian capital to his schedule at short notice, having not competed in it since 2021.
Sidelined from mid-April to the end of August due to a wrist injury, Alcaraz has produced mixed results since his return, including a third-round exit at the Shanghai Masters in his last tournament at the start of October.
