Alcaraz Survives Brilliant Fils To Reach Maiden Monte-Carlo Semi-Finals
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Carlos Alcaraz needed plenty of determination to beat Arthur Fils at the 2025 Monte-Carlo Masters, but the Spaniard eventually enjoyed the rollercoaster ride.
Alcaraz never played in the Monte-Carlo Masters quarter-finals. On the other hand, his quarter-final opponent at the first clay-court ATP Masters 1000 event stood in a quarter-final of all Masters events this year so far.
The two are also very good friends, and that was obvious from their warm embrace before the match. But once they stepped onto the court, they turned into two warriors fighting for every ball.
Fils played at an incredible level to beat Andrey Rublev in the previous round, and he was able to carry that level also into this match. The Frenchman started by breaking his opponent's serve twice and leading 3-0.
Alcaraz was in big trouble, but the Spaniard found a way to dig himself out of the hole, breaking back and then having four break points down 2-3. But Fils saved all of his opponent's break chances in the sixth game to lead 4-2.
Alcaraz was eventually able to break back and make it 4-4, but Fils was the better player when it mattered in the first set. The Frenchman broke again to lead 5-4, and he then saved two break points to win the first set of the match 6-4.
Fils continued playing well also in the second set. What helped the French player win the first set was his efficiency when it came to converting break points. He used all three chances he had, while his opponent was able to use only two out of nine break points.
That statistic completely flipped in the second set, and it showed on the result, too. In the first eleven games of the second set, Alcaraz faced a total of seven break points, while his opponent didn't have to save a single break chance.
But the four-time major winner saved every single one of the break points and broke Fils' serve up 6-5, using his only break point of the set to win it 7-5.
But despite letting the second set slip away from him, Fils showed up motivated at the start of the second set. The French player went up by a break, leading 3-1.
Alcaraz seemed to be frustrated at times, but he was able to turn that frustration into a better performance. The Spaniard won five games in a row to complete the comeback, winning the match 4-6, 7-5, 6-3.
In the semi-finals of the tournament, Alcaraz will take on compatriot Alejandro Davidovich Fokina, and speaking after his win, it was clear that the four-time Grand Slam champion was happy about how he managed to stay in the match.
"I just wanted to stay strong. Waited for my chances. I felt in the first set he played well. Probably a few mistakes from my side. His level is pretty high right now. He puts a lot of pressure on his opponents. I could feel it. I think in some moments he made a few mistakes and I tried to make the most of it."
"Just tried to wait for my chances and tried to take it. In the second set, I saved break points at 5-5. In the third set I tried to stay there, playing good tennis. When I was a break down I tried to keep going, playing aggressively. Be strong mentally, physically, and be waiting for my chances."
