MONTE CARLO - World number three Carlos Alcaraz holds off 12th seed Arthur Fils in a thrilling contest, progressing into his maiden clay court semifinal at Masters 1000 level since 2023, his 10th overall, on Friday at the Monte-Carlo Country Club.
Second seed Carlos Alcaraz recovers from a set and a break down to overpower the only player who has reached the quarterfinals at all first three Masters 1000 events this season, Frenchman Arthur Fils, 4-6, 7-5, 6-3 in a massive two-hour, 23-minute matchup on Friday.
During his in-court interview, Alcaraz commented: “I just wanted to stay strong and wait for my chances. 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.”
Further assessing their encounter, he added: “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, play aggressively, and be strong mentally and physically.”
The Spaniard survived a scare to reach his first semifinal at the Rolex Monte-Carlo Masters and will next face off against countryman Alejandro Davidovich Fokina, who outplayed Australian Alexei Popyrin in straight sets, returning to the last four in The Principality.
Fils came out strong, firing groundstrokes on his way to convert an early break as Alcaraz double-faulted.
Sliding into a third game, the former produced a double break to earn a 3-0 advantage.
Nevertheless, the world number three broke straight back, setting in motion an uphill run, stepping up the pressure to erase his deficit, and squaring the opening set at 4-4.
Easily generating power on his forehand, Fils reacted fast, holding his ground in lengthy baseline rallies, stealing the break in the ninth game to get back on top 5-4.
Serving for the set, the Frenchman shone brightly, delivering an inspired performance to close out 6-4.
The Spanish player charged at the net where he reigned supreme, but the 20-year-old stayed the course, saving two breakpoints before punching first for the delight of the electric crowd, packing the stands on a beautiful sunny Friday in Monte-Carlo.
In blistering form, the 12th seed set the tone of a thrilling contest featuring nail-biting rallies and high-quality shotmaking.
The four-time major champion was made to work by the world No. 15, rallying to grab the opening game of the second set.
Fils, mastering his court coverage, kept his rival at bay with his ferocious ball-striking and impressive athleticism.
The Murcia native, who never gives up on a fight, fended off two breakpoints, and despite an erratic start, he found a way through to surge to a 3-2 lead.
The Roland-Garros title defender navigated out of danger while the Frenchman dropped his intensity, however, the encounter remained tight at 3-3.
Then, the 21-year-old rushed to take 9 of the last 10 points, coming back from 5-5 0-40 down, executing a lob with brilliance to secure the second set, ready to write a third chapter.
The first meeting on tour between the talented players did not fall short of the occasion.
From there, Alcaraz regrouped, charging to set level 3-3 by converting the break in the sixth game and holding to flip the script, powering to a 4-3 lead.
A lead he would extend with a break in the eighth game, en route to wrap up the final set 6-3 and the match.
He hit 23 winners against 54 unforced errors compared to the French player, who fired 18 to 41, respectively.
Throughout his second appearance at the Monte-Carlo Country Club, the player mentored by Juan Carlos Ferrero ousted German qualifier Daniel Altmaier 6-3, 6-1 to reach the quarterfinals for the first time at the tournament.
The Spaniard launched his campaign, recording his maiden triumph at the event over world No. 22 Francisco Cerundolo.
Meanwhile, on Thursday, Fils showcased a flawless performance to outlast former champion Andrey Rublev 6-2, 6-3 in 62 minutes, capturing his place in the quarterfinals.
Alcaraz leads Davidovich Fokina 1-0 in the series; they met in 2023 at the Barcelona Open, a tournament also contested on the red clay surface.
