Andy Roddick praises Carlos Alcaraz for doing something against Laslo Djere at the Italian Open which he really liked seeing

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Carlos Alcaraz has secured a spot in the round of 16 at the Italian Open, having just edged past Laslo Djere.

Alcaraz has welcomed Jannik Sinner back to tennis, with the world number one returning to the ATP Tour at the Italian Open.

Sinner is the top seed at the ATP Masters 1000 tournament, with Alcaraz the third seed and Alexander Zverev the second.

Alcaraz was told to improve his net game after his opening win at the event, where he beat Dusan Lajovic 6-3, 6-3 in round two.

The Spaniard then knocked out another Serbian in Djere, securing a 7-6(7-2), 6-2 victory in the third round.

Andy Roddick praises Carlos Alcaraz adjustments at the Italian Open

Alcaraz, who received a bye in round one, now meets 23rd seed Karen Khachanov in the last 16 of the Italian Open.

Ahead of that match, former world number one Andy Roddick has shared his take on the four-time Grand Slam champion.

READ MORE: Italian Open 2025 Men’s Singles: How to watch, prize money, predictions and everything you need to know

“The movement looked great,” he said on the Tennis Channel Live Podcast. “It is funny because you saw him switch.

“I know Jim [Courier] talks about once he gets that shot tolerance and goes into lockdown mode like Novak [Djokovic] can do, once he plays that more often, he will be more effective and it will be less of a rollercoaster ride early in these tournaments.

“But credit where credit is due, he started standing back on the return. Cold nights in Rome, the ball does not get that hop that he is used to, that we were seeing in Monte Carlo or Roland Garros last year.

“I like that he continuously asked the question and relied on his legs. He is the fastest guy on earth but sometimes you feel like he is in a rush to hit a winner, because he can.

“It’s weird to criticise someone who has had so much success playing one way, it’s just that he can play so effectively these ways, depending on the day and the match-up. I liked seeing him make those adjustments in real time today.”

Carlos Alcaraz vs Karen Khachanov head-to-head record ahead of Italian Open clash

Alcaraz certainly hasn’t had it all his own way at the Italian Open, with the 22-year-old having been really tested at times by both Lajovic and Djere.

But he now faces his toughest test on paper at the ATP Masters 1000 event, where a quarter-final spot is up for grabs.

READ MORE: Carlos Alcaraz tells tennis players the ‘most important’ thing they can do when trying to hit drop shots like him

He will, however, simply be grateful to have made it this far given that he only just withdrew from the Madrid Open.

And he should be quietly confident ahead of another meeting with Khachanov, where he is chasing a fifth successive head-to-head win.