Carlos Alcaraz, the top-seeded player, has secured his spot in the Barcelona Open final by defeating Arthur Fils of France in straight sets during their semi-final match.
Alcaraz, the 14th seed, won against Fils with a score of 6-2, 6-4. He is now scheduled to compete against Holger Rune for the championship. Rune advanced to the final by defeating Karen Khachanov with a score of 6-3, 6-2 in their match on the outdoor clay court.
Alcaraz`s head-to-head record against Rune is 2-1, with his most recent victory against the Danish player occurring at Wimbledon in 2023. However, they have not yet played against each other on a clay court.
Alcaraz, who recently claimed his first Monte-Carlo Masters title the previous weekend, is aiming for his third title this year on his home ground and the 19th title of his career. He has a strong history at the Barcelona Open, having won the tournament in both 2022 and 2023.
Reflecting on his journey, Alcaraz mentioned, “Since I was a young boy, I have been coming here on Sundays to watch the final.”
He added, “I have competed here twice before, so reaching the final in Barcelona once again is very meaningful to me. This week has been enjoyable and successful, and I hope to conclude it with a victory and the trophy tomorrow.”
Zverev Aims for Third Munich Title
Alexander Zverev, the top seed in Munich, served nine aces as he overcame Hungary`s Fabian Marozsan with a score of 7-6 (7-3), 6-3. This win sets up a Munich Open final match against American player Ben Shelton.
Zverev, ranked No. 3 globally, is looking to secure his 24th career title and his third in his home country, which would equal Philipp Kohlschreiber`s record of three Munich titles.
“This entire week has been incredible,” Zverev commented.
He continued, “I momentarily lost concentration on my serve in the first set, but overall, I believe it was a strong performance. Fabian played exceptionally well, and I am thrilled to be in the final.”
Ben Shelton, the second seed, secured his place in the final by winning against Francisco Cerundolo of Argentina with a score of 2-6, 7-6 (9-7), 6-4.
Shelton stated, “Winning on clay against a competitor like that boosts my confidence significantly. To be competing in an ATP 500 final here in Europe is fantastic, and I am very pleased.”
He further added, “I`ve been performing well here, and I appreciate the atmosphere in Munich. I am determined to pursue the title.”
Ostapenko Continues Winning Streak Against Swiatek
Jelena Ostapenko maintained her remarkable undefeated record against Iga Swiatek with a victory in the quarter-finals of the Porsche Tennis Grand Prix in Stuttgart.
Swiatek, despite hoping that playing on her preferred clay surface would help her break her losing streak against Ostapenko, saw the Latvian player extend her head-to-head advantage to 6-0.
Swiatek, the champion in Germany in both 2022 and 2023, rallied after losing the first set, but Ostapenko regained control in the deciding set to win 6-3, 3-6, 6-2.
“The most important thing for me is to maintain an aggressive approach when playing against her,” Ostapenko explained. “I am aware that I will have opportunities. I am very pleased to have reached the semi-finals.”
In the semi-finals, the former French Open champion will compete against Ekaterina Alexandrova of Russia, who defeated the in-form third seed Jessica Pegula with a dominant 6-0, 6-4 victory.
Aryna Sabalenka, the world No. 1, is aiming for her first title in Stuttgart after being runner-up for the past three years. Her chances of breaking this streak look promising after a comfortable 6-4, 6-1 win over Elise Mertens.
Her semi-final opponent will be Jasmine Paolini, the fifth seed, who delivered a strong performance to defeat Coco Gauff 6-4, 6-3.
In other news from the Rouen Open, No. 3 seed Olga Danilovic of Serbia defeated Suzan Lamens of the Netherlands 6-4, 6-4 to advance to the final at the Kindarena.
Danilovic is set to face Elina Svitolina of Ukraine in the final. Svitolina reached the final by defeating Elena-Gabriela Ruse of Romania with a decisive 6-0, 6-2 victory in their semi-final match.
