LONDON, United Kingdom (AFP) — Carlos Alcaraz survived a huge scare against fellow Spaniard Jaume Munar as the world No. 2 moved into the Queen’s Club Championship quarterfinals with a 6-4, 6-7 (7/9), 7-5 victory on Thursday.

Alcaraz was forced to dig deep in a bruising second-round battle that lasted three hours and 26 minutes on the hottest day of the year in London.

Gulping down pickle juice in between games to prevent cramps, Alcaraz had to battle back from 4-2 down in the final set before finally advancing.

“It was a tough battle. He’s a great competitor, and he showed how difficult it is to beat him,” Alcaraz said.

“I’m proud of the level I showed today. It’s my second match on grass this year. There were moments I struggled a lot mentally and physically.”

Top-seeded Alcaraz was tested by Australian world No. 86 Adam Walton on Tuesday. His first action since his dramatic French Open triumph against Jannik Sinner.

On Thursday, the 22-year-old, preparing to launch his bid for a third successive Wimbledon title later in June, was given an even sterner examination by world No. 59 Munar.

It was not quite the incredible escape act Alcaraz staged when he saved three match points and fought back from two sets down to beat Sinner in the Roland Garros final on 8 June.

But Alcaraz had to summon the spirit of that triumph to hold off the gritty Munar.

He made 53 unforced errors, but produced 49 winners to haul himself over the line.

“I still don’t know how I’m standing here. But I’m really happy I’ve given myself another chance in the quarterfinal,” said Alcaraz, whose current 15-match winning streak is the longest of his career.

“I just kept fighting. I guess I didn’t give up. Honestly, I was out mentally, but I stayed there and tried to play the points.”

The exhausted Alcaraz celebrated by writing “were we on clay?” on a TV camera lens before leaving the court.

Alcaraz will play France’s Arthur Rinderknech, a 7-5, 7-6 (7/3) winner over Reilly Opelka, on Friday for a place in the semifinals.

The five-time Grand Slam champion broke for the first time in the third game of the first set thanks to three successive Munar double faults.

That was all the advantage Alcaraz needed as he closed out the set with a dazzling drop-shot that left Munar floundering.

He found it harder to impose his will in the second set.

Unusually sloppy with his ground-strokes and serve, Alcaraz squandered two match points in the tie-break and paid the price when Munar blasted a forehand winner to take the set.

Alcaraz looked to have steadied himself with a break in the second game of the deciding set, but Munar hit back with a break of his own in the next game.

Munar kept the pressure on and had victory in his grasp after breaking for a 3-2 lead.

Alcaraz once again proved indefatigable as he broke at 4-4 and closed out his nerve-jangling victory with a perfectly weighted lob.

In the other action on Thursday, Jacob Fearnley reached his first ATP Tour quarter-final with a 6-3, 2-6, 6-2 win over Corentin Moutet.

British world No. 60 Fearnley has a perfect record of 17 wins from 17 matches against French opponents.

The 23-year-old will face Jiri Lehecka in the last eight after the Czech world number 30’s 6-4, 6-2 victory against Canada’s Gabriel Diallo.