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World No. 3 Carlos Alcaraz claimed a resilient 4-6, 7-5, 6-3 win over Arthur Fils in the quarterfinals of the Monte-Carlo Masters 2025 on Friday, April 11. He trailed 1-3 in the deciding set before reeling off five games on the trot to book his spot in the semifinals. His reward for doing the same is a date with good friend and compatriot Alejandro Davidovich Fokina.
The all-Spanish semifinal contest is set for Saturday, April 12. Following his win over Fils, Alcaraz gave his thoughts on his upcoming match against Davidovich Fokina during his post-match conference.
Alcaraz stated that he and Davidovich Fokina go way back. The latter also played tennis with his older brother when they were kids. He expects a difficult battle against him and while he considers him a good friend, that's going to take a backseat once they set foot on the court.
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"He's a friend. We've seen each other for a long time already. He used to play with my older brother when they were younger as well. So it's going to be interesting, it's not going to be easy. It's never easy playing against a friend, but this is tennis. Once you step on the court there are no friends," Carlos Alcaraz on his upcoming showdown with Davidovich Fokina. (starting at 6:00)
While Alcaraz is seeking a spot in the final of the Monte-Carlo Masters for the first time in his career, Davidovich Fokina is looking to advance to the summit clash for the second time. The latter finished as the runner-up to Stefanos Tsitsipas in the 2022 final, going down to him in straight sets.
Carlos Alcaraz aiming to reach his first Masters 1000 final of the season at the Monte-Carlo Masters
Carlos Alcaraz is not only aiming to advance to his first Monte-Carlo Masters final, but also to his first Masters 1000 final of the season. His previous best result at this level has been a semifinal showing at the BNP Paribas Open at Indian Wells. He was the two-time defending champion there but fell to Jack Draper in the semifinals.
Alcaraz was then stunned by former top 10 player David Goffin in the second round of the Miami Open. He commenced his clay swing without a Masters 1000 title to his name for the first time since 2021. He won the Miami Open in 2022 and claimed the title at Indian Wells in 2023 and 2024.
Should the four-time Major champion beat Alejandro Davidovich Fokina in the semifinals, then he could meet either Alex de Minaur or Lorenzo Musetti in the final. The Aussie hammered Grigor Dimitrov 6-0, 6-0 in the quarterfinals, while the Italian staged a comeback to beat defending champion Stefanos Tsitsipas 1-6, 6-3, 6-4 in the previous round.
