BUENOS AIRES, Feb 17 ― Defending champion Carlos Alcaraz reached the semi-finals of the Buenos Aires clay-court tournament yesterday with a straight-sets win over Italian qualifier Andrea Vavassori.

World number two Alcaraz, playing his first tournament since a shock quarter-final exit at the Australian Open, came through 7-6 (7/1), 6-1 against his 152nd-ranked opponent.