Doha: World No. 3 Carlos Alcaraz's dream of winning his first Qatar ExxonMobil Open title was dashed Thursday as he was knocked out by Czech Jiri Lehecka in a thrilling quarterfinal clash.

According to Qatar News Agency, Lehecka, ranked 25th globally, stunned the tournament's top seed with a 6-3, 3-6, 6-4 victory in a two-hour-and-ten-minute battle. The 23-year-old Czech, who has only claimed two career titles, will now face either Italy's Matteo Berrettini or Britain's Jack Draper in tomorrow's semifinal.

For Alcaraz, it was a disappointing exit in his debut appearance at the prestigious Doha event, where he had hoped to clinch his first title here and add to his remarkable 2024 momentum. Having recently triumphed at the ATP 500 in the Netherlands by defeating Alex de Minaur, the 21-year-old Spaniard was eyeing his second consecutive 500-point victory.

With 17 career titles, including four Grand Slams - the 2022 US Open, 2023 and 2024 Wimbledon, and the 2024 French Open - Alcaraz remains one of the sport's most promising and accomplished young stars.