Alcaraz eases past Safiullin into Olympics quarter-finals
Carlos Alcaraz's hunt for a third major tournament win in a row goes on after booking his place in the quarter-finals of the Olympics.
Carlos Alcaraz produced another stunning display as he stormed past Roman Safiullin in straight sets to book a place in the quarter-finals at the Paris Olympics.
The Spaniard, who overcame fitness concerns in his win over Tallon Griekspoor in the last round, dominated on Court Suzanne Lenglen to win 6-4 6-2 in an hour and a half.
Alcaraz made his intent clear from the start, breaking Safiullin twice in the opening three games to race into the lead.
The Russian regained his footing shortly after to make it a more even affair, but he managed just one break as Alcaraz cruised through the first set.
The 21-year-old made a similar start in the second and twice threatened to take a three-game advantage over his opponent, but Safiullin successfully defended two break points to make it 3-2.
He could not do the same on his next serve though, and Alcaraz won the last three games in a row to set up a meeting with the United States' Tommy Paul in the last eight.
Data Debrief: Just no stopping Alcaraz
Alcaraz has reached the quarter-finals in every high-profile tournament he has entered, winning the last two such events at the French Open (at Roland-Garros) and Wimbledon.
He is also the youngest player to make the men's singles quarter-finals at the Olympics since Novak Djokovic in Beijing 2008.