Photo credit: Rolex Monte-Carlo Masters Facebook
Arthur Fils’ fast footsteps echoed in Carlos Alcaraz's ears as another forehand flashed by his eyes.
A rugged Alcaraz shook off the shadows and lit up the red clay with electric strikes.
Facing a 1-3 deficit in the decider, Alcaraz fired through five games in a row fending off the dangerous Fils 4-6, 7-5, 6-3 to reach his first Rolex Monte-Carlo Masters semifinal.
A highly-anticipated maiden meeting between the 20-year-old Fils and 21-year-old Alcaraz largely lived up to the hype with heavy strikes and some aggressive misses from both men.
Firing his forehand with menacing intent, Fils was the better player for the first set. The second set was deadlocked at 5-all when Fils earned triple break point. Had he converted one of those break points, the Frenchman would have served for the semifinal.
A defiant Alcaraz flipped the script surging through nine of the next 10 points to snatch the second set before staging another spirited rally to prevail in two hours, 23 minutes.
"It was really, really tough. I'm not gonna say it was one point to lose, but it was kind of that in the second set," Alcaraz told the media in Monte-Carlo. "I think his level is pretty high. The strength that he hit the ball, it is amazing. Physically he is one of the most physical players on the tour, one of the best ones, for sure.
"So, I mean, today I think I didn't play my best tennis, but I think I played a great tennis. It was about the tennis today, I think. In some moments he made some mistakes in the first or second shot of the point, so I tried to make the most of that free points.
"Tried to stay there all the time, which I think I did great. And, yeah, one of the most difficult matches that I've played this year."
It is Alcaraz’s first Masters 1000 clay-court semifinal since he won the 2023 Mutua Madrid Open championship.
Reigning Roland Garros champion Alcaraz improved to 15-1 on red clay since last May with his lone loss on dirt coming to Grand Slam king Novak Djokovic in the Paris Olympics gold-medal match at Roland Garros.
The victory vaults Alcaraz into an all-Spanish semifinal vs. Alejandro Davidovich Fokina.
In today’s first quarterfinal, 2022 Monte-Carlo finalist Davidovich Fokina did not face a break point in a 6-3, 6-2 sweep of Aussie Alexei Popyrin. Davidovich Fokina won 26 of 32 first-serve points and dropped only 10 points on serve in a strong 69-minute victory.
Alex de Minaur destroyed Grigor Dimitrov, 6-0, 6-0, dispensing the first Tour-level double-bagel of his career. The 44-minute annihilation was the first time former world No. 3 Dimitrov was shutout in a match in his distinguished career.
World No. 10 de Minaur, who told Tennis Channel's Prakash Amritraj "What's driving me is trying to earn some big bucks for this wedding budget," will face either defending champion Stefanos Tsitsipas or Wimbledon semifinalist Lorenzo Musetti for a spot in Sunday's final.
Arriving in Monaco winless at this tournament, the 21-year-old Alcaraz relied on his all-court acumen, blazing court coverage and sheer grit to out-duel the 20-year-old Fils in what is likely the first of many future fantastic battles between young titanic talents.
"I had opportunities and I didn't convert them," Fils told the media in Monte-Carlo. "Things turned around very quickly at the end of the second. Between 5-All and 7-5, in a few minutes I didn't manage the situation well, and as a great champion that he is, he did manage the situation well on his side.
"So I need to learn from that."
The only man to reach quarterfinals at all three ATP Masters 1000 events this season—Indian Wells, Miami and Monte-Carlo—Fils carried a 3-1 record vs. Top 10 opponents on dirt into this duel. Fils had surrendered serve just once in tournament wins over Tallon Griekspoor, Flavio Cobolli and seventh-seeded Andrey Rublev.
Today. Alcaraz converted five of 14 break points chances, including breaking twice in a row in the final set.
In a flying start, Fils broke twice in a row for a 3-0 lead. Though Alcaraz broke back to even after eight games. Fils scored his third break for 5-4. Fils fought off break points then belted a backhand winner down the line to take a one-set lead with a clenched fist toward his box.
In a punishing eight-and-a-half minute hold, Alcaraz denied two break points to hold for 3-2.
Though Alcaraz wasn’t at his best through the first two sets, his fighting spirit spoke volumes as he confronted triple break point at 5-all. Fils netted a backhand return then found the tape on an inside-out forehand.
On the third break point, the pair played a crackling 18-shot rally. The Frenchman lined up his favored forehand and narrowly missed the sideline.
A bold forehand drop shot helped Alcaraz survive stress holding for 6-5 and inciting an eruption from the Monte-Carlo crowd that included Prince Albert II of Monaco and famed coach Riccardo Piatti.
Serving to force a second-set tiebreaker, an anxious Fils belted a few forehands beyond the baseline to face set point.
Drawing the Frenchman forward, Alcaraz looped a brilliant backhand lob winner to snatch the second set winning nine of the last 10 points in the set.
A fired-up Alcaraz raised a clenched fist to force a final set after a frenetic one hour and 43 minutes of play.
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Resetting, Fils flicked the drop shot-lob combination to seal a love hold and level the decider at 1-all.
Playing closer to the baseline, Fils was hitting the ball earlier as he drew successive forehand errors from Alcaraz scoring first-break blood for a 2-1 third-set lead.
Standing tall under stress, the 6’1” Frenchman fought off a pair of break points in the fourth game.
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Detonating a forehand down the line, Fils watched Alcaraz’s running replay land short in the court. Streaking up to the ball a sliding Fils flicked a fantastic forehand drop shot winner, capping a gritty hold for 3-1.
The Wimbledon winner whipped successive aces holding for 2-3. When Fils pasted a two-handed backhand into the tape, Alcaraz broke back, levelling at 3-all.
Perhaps the physicality or the pressure or both drained Fils by the eighth game. The Frenchman was up 40-30 when he missed a forehand down the line then netted a backhand for break point.
Pushed back by a return, Fils netted a forehand off his backfoot to drop serve and fall behind 3-5. A frustrated Fils wound up and tomahawked his racquet to the court, decapitating the head of the Babolat and incurring a code violation warning for racquet abuse.
"I am crazy about this," Fils said. "It's so tough to lose those matches, especially when you have opportunities. If you lose 6-2, 6-2, it's annoying, but you think, my level was not good. I need to work.
"But in this match, I played well, but I lost my focus at some moments that I shouldn't have, and I didn't make it through."
Alcaraz served it out at 15, improving to 6-0 lifetime against younger opponents.
The second-seeded Spaniard improved to 18-4 on the season and engaged Fils in a warm and respectful embrace at net.
Now, Alcaraz will face friendly fire against former finalist Davidovich Fokina.
"He invited me to his wedding. He's a friend," Alcaraz said. "We have seen each other for a long time already. He used to play with my old brother when they were younger, as well. I know him pretty well. I've played against him a few times. Practiced a lot.
"So it's going to be interesting. It's not gonna be easy, never easy playing against a friend, but, you know, this is tennis. Once you step on the court, there are no friends.
"So I have to go for it. There is no time to be tired, to be afraid. I will try to show a good tennis, and let's see."