Carlos Alcaraz opened his campaign at the Vienna Open with a straight-sets win over Karen Khachanov on Tuesday, while Alexander Zverev battled past Martin Landaluce after saving four match points in a thrilling three-set encounter.

World number three Alcaraz defeated the former world number eight Khachanov 6-4, 7-6 (7/5) in their first-round clash.

The seven-time Grand Slam champion added the ATP 500 tournament in the Austrian capital to his schedule at short notice, having last competed in Vienna in 2021.

After missing action from mid-April until the end of August because of a wrist injury, Alcaraz has experienced inconsistent form since returning to the court. His most recent outing ended in a third-round defeat at the Shanghai Masters in early October.

“I really enjoyed it, even though I had to run, had to fight, had to sweat a lot. We both played great shots, great points. I would say it was a great match to watch and I’m really happy about it,” Alcaraz said.

The Spaniard was forced to work hard against the powerful 30-year-old, recovering from a break down to claim the opening set. The second set remained tightly contested before Alcaraz produced a perfectly executed drop shot in the tie-break to secure victory.

The 23-year-old will now meet either Georgian Nikoloz Basilashvili or Austrian hopeful Jurij Rodionov in the round of 16.

Zverev survives Landaluce thriller

Meanwhile, Alexander Zverev kept his hopes of finishing the season as world number one alive with a hard-fought 7-5, 3-6, 7-6 (13/11) victory over Martin Landaluce.

“(I was pushed) to the absolute limit,” Zverev said. “Credit to (Landaluce), he played an amazing match.”

The German can move into the top spot in the updated rankings next Monday if he wins his next match and reaches the Vienna quarter-finals, provided the relevant ranking scenario involving injured Italian Jannik Sinner holds. Zverev’s next opponent will be either Tallon Griekspoor or Brandon Nakashima.

Zverev claimed a crucial break in the 12th game of the opening set to take it 7-5. However, the 20-year-old Spaniard responded strongly in the second, breaking early before serving out the set to force a decider.

The final set was closely fought, with Zverev leading 6-5 before creating two match points on Landaluce’s serve. The young Spaniard held his nerve to level the score and force a tie-break.

In a dramatic finish, Zverev fought off four match points before finally sealing victory on his fifth opportunity. Landaluce sent a forehand wide to end the contest after three hours and five minutes of intense action.