Doha [Qatar], February 21 (ANI): World No. 1 Carlos Alcaraz held his nerve in a tense late-night contest to defeat defending champion Andrey Rublev and book his place in the final of the Qatar Open 2026 on Friday. Alcaraz will take on Frenchman Arthur Fils in the title clash on Saturday, according to ATP.

The Spanish star dug deep to register a 7-6(3), 6-4 victory in the semi-final, converting his sixth match point after two hours and two minutes of absorbing tennis. With the win, Alcaraz extended his unbeaten start to the 2026 season to 11 matches and advanced to his first final in Doha.

Top seed Alcaraz was pushed throughout by Rublev, a two-time champion at the event, and had to withstand several momentum swings. He twice failed to serve out the opening set before clinching it in a tie-break. In the second set, the 22-year-old surged ahead 3-0, only to see Rublev claw his way back into the contest.

Serving for the match at 5-3 in the second set, Alcaraz let three match points slip as Rublev mounted a final charge to break back. But the Spaniard responded immediately, breaking the Russian in the next game to regain control. Showing composure under pressure, Alcaraz finally sealed the victory on his sixth opportunity to close out the match.

Alcaraz arrived in Doha brimming with confidence after clinching the Australian Open title in January, becoming the youngest man to complete the Career Grand Slam. However, his run in Qatar has required resilience. He needed three sets to overcome former champion Karen Khachanov in the quarter-finals before navigating another stern examination against Rublev.

Awaiting Alcaraz in Saturday's summit clash is France's Arthur Fils, who continued his strong comeback from injury with a straight-sets win over sixth seed Jakub Mensik in the other semi-final.

Fils, playing only his third tournament since returning from an eight-month layoff due to a back injury, prevailed 6-4, 7-5 to reach his first tour-level final since 2024. The 21-year-old has recently strengthened his coaching setup by bringing in former Wimbledon champion Goran Ivanisevic.

With momentum on his side and confidence soaring, Alcaraz will now aim to cap his impressive start to the season by lifting the Doha title and extending his winning streak further. (ANI)