Carlos Alcaraz advanced to his third Barcelona Open final after defeating Arthur Fils 6-2, 6-4 in windy conditions on Saturday, setting up a championship match against Holger Rune, who dominated Karen Khachanov 6-3, 6-2 in the other semi-final.
The matchup was a rematch from their Monte Carlo quarter-final eight days earlier, where Fils had pushed Alcaraz by winning the first set. This time, Alcaraz controlled the match from the beginning, breaking Fils' serve twice in the opening set.
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"I started the match really focused on my game and being in a good position every time to hit the right shots," Alcaraz said after the win.
Alcaraz secured another break in the second set's third game. He faced a brief challenge when he double-faulted on his first match point and hit a wild drive on his second before claiming victory.
"The wind was really tough," Alcaraz said. "It wasn't about playing fantastic tennis, brilliant, brilliant shots. It was about making the shots you had to do and no more than that. I did it pretty well."
Alcaraz remains undefeated on clay this season after winning Monte Carlo last week. He hasn't lost in Barcelona since 2021, winning the tournament in 2022 and 2023 before missing last year due to an arm injury.
"Being in a final in Barcelona again means a lot in front of my people, in front of my friends," Alcaraz said. "It has been really fun and a great week. Let's see if tomorrow we'll end with a trophy. It's going to be really tough. I'm super excited."
In the earlier semi-final, Rune demonstrated dominance against Khachanov. The 21-year-old Dane held his serve throughout the first set while breaking Khachanov twice.
Rune continued his strong performance in the second set, breaking early for a 3-0 lead. Despite Khachanov saving two break points in the sixth game, Rune secured another break in the ninth game, winning with a passing shot.
"It was definitely a very good match from my side, I played very smart I think and put him under lots of pressure," Rune said.
The Danish player showed versatility in his game, hitting 20 winners against 13 unforced errors.
"I knew I had to play well again, I was keeping my pace on my shots well, mixing it up well and doing most things right today, so I'm very happy," Rune added.
The matchup was a rematch from their Monte Carlo quarter-final eight days earlier, where Fils had pushed Alcaraz by winning the first set. This time, Alcaraz controlled the match from the beginning, breaking Fils' serve twice in the opening set.
Go Beyond The Boundary with our YouTube channel.
"I started the match really focused on my game and being in a good position every time to hit the right shots," Alcaraz said after the win.
Alcaraz secured another break in the second set's third game. He faced a brief challenge when he double-faulted on his first match point and hit a wild drive on his second before claiming victory.
His home.@carlosalcaraz is now 29-1 in his last 30 matches on Spanish clay courts 🤯#BCNOpenBS pic.twitter.com/XwYsVPYIIJ
— Tennis TV (@TennisTV) April 19, 2025
"The wind was really tough," Alcaraz said. "It wasn't about playing fantastic tennis, brilliant, brilliant shots. It was about making the shots you had to do and no more than that. I did it pretty well."
Alcaraz remains undefeated on clay this season after winning Monte Carlo last week. He hasn't lost in Barcelona since 2021, winning the tournament in 2022 and 2023 before missing last year due to an arm injury.
Drop shot perfection 💯@carlosalcaraz #BCNOpenBS pic.twitter.com/BjQ6H8dp4s
— Tennis TV (@TennisTV) April 19, 2025
"Being in a final in Barcelona again means a lot in front of my people, in front of my friends," Alcaraz said. "It has been really fun and a great week. Let's see if tomorrow we'll end with a trophy. It's going to be really tough. I'm super excited."
In the earlier semi-final, Rune demonstrated dominance against Khachanov. The 21-year-old Dane held his serve throughout the first set while breaking Khachanov twice.
Eleventh heaven 🇩🇰@holgerrune2003 puts on a masterclass vs Khachanov 6-3 6-2 to reach his 11th ATP final in Barcelona!#BCNOpenBS pic.twitter.com/mwcL2w6GCm
— Tennis TV (@TennisTV) April 19, 2025
Rune continued his strong performance in the second set, breaking early for a 3-0 lead. Despite Khachanov saving two break points in the sixth game, Rune secured another break in the ninth game, winning with a passing shot.
"It was definitely a very good match from my side, I played very smart I think and put him under lots of pressure," Rune said.
The Danish player showed versatility in his game, hitting 20 winners against 13 unforced errors.
"I knew I had to play well again, I was keeping my pace on my shots well, mixing it up well and doing most things right today, so I'm very happy," Rune added.
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