No. 2 seed Carlos Alcaraz overcame a spirited challenge from Frenchman Arthur Fils in Friday’s quarterfinals at the Rolex Monte-Carlo Masters in Monaco.
The Spanish star saved three break points at 5-5, love-40 in the second set and overcame a 1-3 deficit in the third set for a thrilling 4-6, 7-5, 6-3 victory in 2 hours and 24 minutes.
“I just wanted to stay strong and wait for my chances,” Alcaraz said. “I think his level is high right now and he puts a lot of pressure on his opponents. Today I could feel it but in some moments he just made a few mistakes and I tried to make the most of those points and wait for my chances. The second set I saved those break points and then made the only break point I had that set.
“In the third set I was just trying to play good tennis. When I was a break down, I just tried to keep going and play aggressively and be strong mentally and physically.”
Fils finished with a 23-18 advantage in winners, but the 20-year-old Frenchman also committed 53 unforced errors to 41 for Alcaraz. Fils converted 4 of 11 break chances and Alcaraz converted 5 of 14.
Alcaraz, 21, improved to 18-4 this season as he chases his first title at the ATP 1000 clay tournament. He will take on unseeded countryman Alejandro Davidovich Fokina in Saturday’s semifinals.
Davidovich Fokina, who reached the finals in Monte Carlo in 2022, cruised to a 6-3, 6-2 victory against Australia’s Alexei Popyrin in 70 minutes.
He withstood nine aces from Popyrin, who posted more than twice as many unforced errors (31-13) and never had a break point against Davidovich Fokina.
“I’ve improved as a person, my maturity,” said Davidovich Fokina, 25. “When you can control (things) off the court, it’s going to be easier to control your emotions (on the court). Today it has proved (the progress) I am making this year.”
The other semifinal pits No. 8 seed Alex De Minaur of Australia against No. 13 Lorenzo Musetti of Italy.
DeMinaur delivered a resounding 6-0, 6-0 thumping of No. 15 seed Grigor Dimitrov of Bulgaria in 44 minutes. It was the first double bagel in the quarterfinals or later of an ATP Tour event since Roger Federer blanked Mischa Zverev in the 2013 Halle quarterfinals.
“It’s not about hitting hard, powerful shots (on clay),” De Minaur said of his approach this week. “It’s about opening up the court, using angles, height, and different speeds. Understanding the balance between being too aggressive and too passive.”
Musetti saved 14 of 17 break points and rallied for a 1-6, 6-3, 6-4 victory against No. 6 seed Stefanos Tsitsipas of Greece.
–Field Level Media
