Sat Apr 12 10:50:00 UTC 2025: ## Alcaraz Fights Back to Reach Monte Carlo Semifinals; Tsitsipas Upset
**Monte Carlo, Monaco** – World No. 3 Carlos Alcaraz overcame a significant deficit to defeat Arthur Fils 4-6, 7-5, 6-3 in a thrilling Monte Carlo Masters quarterfinal Friday. Alcaraz, preparing for his French Open title defense, was five points from defeat in the second set and trailed 3-1 in the third before mounting a comeback fueled by Fils’ 53 unforced errors. He will now face Alejandro Davidovich Fokina, who beat Alexei Popyrin 6-3, 6-2, in an all-Spanish semifinal clash.
“I have missed clay,” Alcaraz said after the match, highlighting his resilience. “I believe that true champions find the right level when necessary,” he added, acknowledging his inconsistent performance.
Meanwhile, reigning champion Stefanos Tsitsipas suffered a shocking upset, losing to Lorenzo Musetti 6-1, 3-6, 4-6. Despite winning the first set comfortably, Tsitsipas’ serve faltered dramatically, particularly in the final set where he made only eight of 28 first serves and committed seven double faults. Musetti capitalized on Tsitsipas’ struggles to claim the victory.
“It’s difficult to accept,” a disappointed Tsitsipas said. “Feeling so confident playing on this court and not being able to win a match that I felt I kind of had every reason to… is definitely heartbreaking.”
In other quarterfinal action, Alex de Minaur cruised to a dominant 6-0, 6-0 win over Grigor Dimitrov in just 44 minutes, advancing to his first clay-court semifinal in three years. Dimitrov’s 23 unforced errors contributed significantly to his defeat.
First Piper 