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Carlos Alcaraz overcame a second set wobble to defeat Laslo Djere 6-2, 6-4 on Thursday and reach the Barcelona Open quarter-finals.
The world number two stepped up a gear from his first-round win over Ethan Quinn to dispatch his 80th-ranked opponent on the Catalan clay as he prepares for his French Open title defence.
Alcaraz, who triumphed at the Monte Carlo Masters last week, has had an inconsistent start to the year and in March fell at the first hurdle in the Miami Open.
Home favourite Alcaraz saved both break points he faced in a first-set stroll, with Djere unable to produce a single winner, to the Spaniard’s eight.
The four-time Grand Slam winner won five games straight to claim a 5-1 first-set lead and sealed it with his second set point.
In the second set, Djere offered more of a fight and even broke for a 4-2 lead, but Alcaraz bounced back quickly.
Djere could not handle the Spaniard in full flow and crumbled away as Alcaraz won the final four games to triumph, sealing his win when the Serb pushed a shot into the net.
“After going 4-2 down in the second, I played a bit more like what my level is,” said Alcaraz.
“I am very happy that I could step up my level, and seem more like my best, and I want to continue.”
Alcaraz will face world number seven Alex de Minaur in the quarter-finals on Friday. The Aussie eased past Briton Jacob Fearnley 6-1, 6-2 later on Thursday.
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