Carlos Alcaraz produced a gutsy display on Friday, when he overcame a resilient, heavy-hitting performance from Arthur Fils to keep alive his title hopes at the Rolex Monte-Carlo Masters. In a dramatic clash on Court Rainier III, Alcaraz was on the verge of defeat on several occasions but refused to surrender in a match of high-quality shot-making. The World No. 3 crucially saved three break points at 5-5, 0/40 in the second set and rallied from 1-3 in the third set to earn a dramatic 4-6, 7-5, 6-3 quarter-final win.
"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."
Fils came out firing, demonstrating great footwork to dictate on his destructive forehand and force the Spaniard off balance. However, Alcaraz hit with greater depth throughout the match to pin Fils deep. He found the Frenchman’s backhand with more regularity in the second and third sets, reeling off five straight games from 1-3 in the decider to seal victory after two hours and 23 minutes.
Alcaraz is making just his second appearance in Monte-Carlo, having lost in his only previous match in 2022 to Sebastian Korda. The 21-year-old suffered a shock opening-round exit to David Goffin in Miami and has been slowly rediscovering his best level in The Principality. After defeating Francisco Cerundolo and Daniel Altmaier in his first two matches, the World No. 3 survived his greatest test yet against Fils in the pair’s first Lexus ATP Head2Head meeting to set a semi-final clash with Alejandro Davidovich Fokina.
The Spaniard is into his 10th ATP Masters 1000 semi-final and is chasing his sixth title at this level across four different events (Madrid 2022, 23’), (Indian Wells (23’, 24’), (Miami 22’). If the Spaniard claims his first crown in The Principality, he will pass Alexander Zverev for World No. 2 next Monday. If Alcaraz does not triumph in Monte-Carlo, he will remain World No. 3.
In a dramatic clash against Fils, Alcaraz fought hard to save three break points at 5-5 in the second set before he produced a stunning lob in the following game on set point to level the match. After pushing a return in, the 21-year-old scrambled to the backhand corner to flick a perfect lob over Fils’ head. He then marched to his chair with his arm in the air.
Both hit a number of stunning winners in the third set but it was Alcaraz who found greater consistency to break Fils’ spirit and advance. "I have missed clay," Alcaraz added. "It is good to play the drop shot and it is a shot I use a lot and feel comfortable using. In matches like this I won almost every drop shot I hit and it gives me more confidence."
Fils was aiming to reach his first Masters 1000 semi-final having also reached the quarter-finals in Indian Wells and Miami last month. The 20-year-old Frenchman threw everything he had at Alcaraz in a proactive display but costly unforced errors on serve ultimately stalled momentum and allowed the Spaniard to turn the tables in the deciding set. Fils leaves The Principality up two spots to No. 13 in the PIF ATP Live Rankings.
Did You Know? Alcaraz is 15-1 on clay since last May. He won Roland Garros last year and lost in the gold medal match to Novak Djokovic in the Paris Olympics.
In summary, Alcaraz's victory over Fils not only keeps his title hopes alive but also reaffirms his status as a top contender on clay. With his upcoming semi-final against Alejandro Davidovich Fokina, fans are eager to see if Alcaraz can continue his impressive form and secure another ATP Masters 1000 title.
