Carlos Alcaraz said he had the “best physio in the world” after raising concerns about an ankle injury to beat Zizou Bergs in the second round of the Japan Open.
The world number one said he was “afraid” after being clumsyly landed in his first round victory over Sebastian Baez on Thursday.
But the Spaniard, 22, looked at few difficulties by winning a 6-4 6-3 victory against the Belgian Bergs not rescued to set up a quarter-final against Brandon Nakashima in Tokyo.
“I could play, I would say, normally,” said Alcaraz, who won the US Open last month.
“I was worried about certain movements on the field where I could feel the ankle, but in general, I think I played a big match.
“I have already said and I will repeat it – I have the best physio in the world, to whom I trust 100%, and the work he did for the ankle, I think, was great.”
Elsewhere, the world number two Jannik Sinner was taken to three sets by the 23-year-old French qualification Terence Atmane to the China Open, winning 6-4 5-7 6-0 to reach the quarter-finals.
The Italian, who lost against Alcaraz in the US Open final but won the Australian Open and Wimbledon this season, wandered in the second set after twice leading by a break.
Atmane produced one of the surprise races of the season to reach the semi-finals of the Masters of Cincinnati in August, where he lost against Sinner.
But after heading for a decision maker at Beijing, he started to fight with Cramp, allowing the sinner to go to the third set to organize a last match against Fabien Marozsan from Hungary.
