Alcaraz keeps title defence on track in Barcelona

Carlos Alcaraz stayed on course to defend his Barcelona Open title yesterday as he defeated Alejandro Davidovich Fokina 7-6 (7/5), 6-4 to move into the semi-finals.
Alcaraz’s build-up to the French Open next month has been slowed by hand and back problems which forced him to pull out of Monte Carlo, and the top seed was made to work hard by Davidovich Fokina.
The teenager broke in the first game of the match but Davidovich Fokina hit back for 3-all before Alcaraz soon regained the upper hand.
However, he failed to close out the first set when serving at 5-4 and Davidovich Fokina fought his way to within two points of taking the opener in the tie-break. Alcaraz though held his nerve as the 38th-ranked Spaniard faltered, with Davidovich Fokina belting a forehand long to eventually surrender the set.
The US Open champion saved six break points in the third game of the second set and then broke immediately after for a 3-1 advantage. Davidovich Fokina again responded to get back on serve, and it stayed that way until Alcaraz broke in the final game to seal victory.
He will take on the winner of the quarter-final between Argentina’s Francisco Cerundolo and Briton Dan Evans.
Stefanos Tsitsipas eased into the semi-finals earlier in the day, beating Alex de Minaur 6-4, 6-2.
Tsitsipas claimed the lone break of the opening set and then reeled off five straight games in the second as he won for the ninth time in as many meetings with Australia’s De Minaur.
The Greek second seed will play Lorenzo Musetti today as he bids to reach the Barcelona final for a third time. He was runner-up to Rafael Nadal in 2018 and 2021. Tsitsipas, the losing finalist at January’s Australian Open, is bidding for his first title of the season. He lost to Alcaraz in the quarter-finals in Barcelona last year.
Musetti advanced via walkover when fellow Italian Jannik Sinner had to pull out because of illness. “Sad to have to withdraw from my match today in Barcelona,” tweeted Sinner, who beat Musetti in the Monte Carlo quarter-finals last week.
“I’ve been feeling unwell for a few days now. Today the sickness got worse and I’m not able to play. I’ll take some time to rest and recover.”
Top seed Rune rolls into
Munich semi-finals
Defending champion Holger Rune coasted into the semi-finals of the ATP tournament in Munich yesterday with a 6-2, 6-4 win over Chile’s Cristian Garin.
The 19-year-old Rune is through to his fourth semi-final appearance of the year and will face Australian outsider Christopher O’Connell for a shot at the title.
Rune, the runner-up in Monte Carlo last week, broke Garin twice in the first set and two more times in the second set despite facing stiffer resistance from his 86th-ranked opponent.
Former US Open champion and three-time losing Grand Slam finalist Dominic Thiem plays second seed Taylor Fritz for a place in the last four.
Thiem completed his second-round match earlier on Friday, coming from behind to beat Swiss eighth seed Marc-Andrea Huesler 5-7, 6-4, 6-4.