The ATP Tour heads to opposite sides of Europe this week for a clay-court doubleheader in Barcelona and Belgrade.

Stefanos Tsitsipas, Casper Ruud, Felix Auger-Aliassime headline a stacked field at the Barcelona Open Banc Sabadell, where #NextGenATP sensation Carlos Alcaraz looks to impress his home fans at the ATP 500 event.

World No. 1 Novak Djokovic can also count on strong home support as he chases his first crown of the year at the Serbia Open in Belgrade, an ATP 250 event. Dominic Thiem returns to tour-level action in Belgrade after 10 months out with a wrist injury.

ATPTour.com looks ahead at five things to watch at each event.

View Draws: Barcelona | Belgrade

FIVE THINGS TO WATCH IN BARCELONA
1) Tsitsipas’ Unfinished Business: Tsitsipas broke his trophy duck for 2022 by successfully defending his title at the Rolex Monte-Carlo Masters on Sunday. The Greek will hope that momentum can carry him to a maiden title in Catalunya.

Tsitsipas reached the final twice before in Barcelona, losing against Rafael Nadal on both occasions. The top seed begins his bid to go one better this year against Pedro Martinez or Ilya Ivashka.

2) Home Fans Await Alcaraz: Spain’s teenage sensation is seeded fifth as he prepares to play in his home country for the first time since becoming an ATP Masters 1000 champion at the Miami Open presented by Itau in early April.

The 18-year-old has hit a series of milestones this year including his Miami breakthrough, his maiden ATP 500 crown in Rio de Janeiro and breaking into the Top 20 of the ATP Rankings for the first time. Alcaraz will try to earn his first Barcelona match win against South Korean Soonwoo Kwon or Frenchman Benoit Paire.

3) Felix Seeks First Clay Title: Auger-Aliassime made a sparkling start to the season when he helped Canada to the ATP Cup title, reached the Australian Open quarter-finals and then lifted his first ATP Tour trophy in Rotterdam. Will the 21-year-old claim his maiden tour-level clay-court crown this week in Barcelona? Last year, he reached the quarter-finals at the ATP 500 before falling to Tsitsipas. A potential opening clash with #NextGenATP American Sebastian Korda could be a tough early test for the third seed, who will try to bounce back from an opening-round loss in Monte Carlo.

4) Ruud & Schwartzman Pose Clay-Court Threat: Second seed Ruud has established himself as one of the Tour’s leading contenders on clay since his previous appearance in Barcelona in 2017. The Norwegian comes in off the back of a disappointing third-round exit in Monte Carlo, but still holds a 14-5 record for the year. He already has a title on the red dirt in 2022, having clinched a seventh tour-level title in Buenos Aires in February.

Diego Schwartzman lost one of the matches of the year in Monte Carlo, a topsy-turvy quarter-final against eventual champion Tsitsipas. The sixth-seeded Argentine seeks to bouce back at an event where he reached the last eight in 2021 as he hunts his first title of the season.

5) Ram/Salisbury Lead Doubles Field: Top-ranked pairing Rajeev Ram and Joe Salisbury clinched a maiden tour-level title together on clay in Monte Carlo and the American-British duo seeks to back up that run with a strong showing in Barcelona, where they fell at the semi-finals in 2021. They face a tough opening clash against home favourites and 2018 champions Feliciano Lopez and Marc Lopez. Monte Carlo finalists Juan Sebastian Cabal and Robert Farah, the fourth seeds, will chase a third consecutive title at the event.

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FIVE THINGS TO WATCH IN BELGRADE
1) Djokovic Hunts Home Success: World No. 1 Djokovic will hope home support can power him to his first title of 2022 at the Novak Tennis Center. Djokovic is a two-time champion at the Serbia Open, having triumphed in 2009 and 2011, and also lifted the trophy in Belgrade in 2021, when there was an ATP 250 on a single-year licence.

The 34-year-old will try to play into form after losing in the second round in Monte Carlo against eventual finalist Alejandro Davidovich Fokina. The Serbian’s opening opponent will be a countryman: wild card Hamad Medjedovic or Laslo Djere.

2) Thiem Returns To Tour: Former World No. 3 Thiem returns to play an ATP Tour event for the first time since being sidelined with a wrist injury in June 2021.

The Austrian lost on his competitive return at an ATP Challenger Tour event in Marbella, Spain, in late March and takes his comeback to another level with his Belgrade debut. Thiem is a two-time Roland Garros finalist and the 28-year-old will hope to use his clay-court experience to his advantage in his opener against Australian John Millman. If Thiem and Djokovic make it to the quarter-finals, they will meet in a blockbuster for a place in the last four.

3) Rublev Makes Belgrade Debut: Andrey Rublev’s strong start to 2022 included back-to-back titles in Marseille and Dubai in February. Will the 24-year-old add his third title of the season this week in Serbia on his tournament debut? A two-time tour-level titlist on clay, Rublev will look to hit the ground running in an opening clash with Henri Laaksonen or a qualifier. 

4) Rune Rise To Continue?: The excitement around #NextGenATP Dane Holger Rune cranked up a notch in Monte Carlo as the 18-year-old defeated 2021 Nitto ATP Finals alternate Aslan Karatsev before falling to Casper Ruud in two tight sets. Rune is chasing a second consecutive appearance at the Intesa Sanpaolo Next Gen ATP Finals.

The 18-year-old could prove a handful for fifth seed Cristian Garin in the first round. Five-time ATP Tour titlist Garin will hope his semi-final run in Houston two weeks ago will serve as the start of a strong stretch on the clay.

5) Mektic/Pavic Top Seeds: Nikola Mektic and Mate Pavic’s hunt for a first title since the Tokyo Olympics in July takes them to the Belgrade event for the first time, with the top-seeded Croatians looking to bounce back after their title defence in Monte Carlo ended at the quarter-final stage.

Italian duo Simone Bolelli and Fabio Fognini are the second seeds in Serbia, while third seeds Matthew Ebden and Max Purcell return to the court for the first time since the Australian pair clinched its maiden ATP Tour title in Houston two weeks ago.

Hometown hero Novak Djokovic will compete in Belgrade for the sixth time in his ATP Tour career next week at the Serbia Open. In the tournament’s second year in Belgrade following a move from Budapest, the World No. 1 seeks a fourth tour-level title in his native city.

He will face a fellow Serbian in his opening match — possibly Laslo Djere — and could face in-form countryman Miomir Kecmanovic in the third round. Djokovic defeated seventh seed Kecmanovic in the 2021 Belgrade quarter-finals before falling to Aslan Karatsev in three sets.

Dominic Thiem will hope to prevent that rematch as he gets set for his first ATP Tour action since he injured his right wrist last June. The 28-year-old Austrian opens against John Millman, and could face Kecmanovic or Richard Gasquet in the second round before a potential showdown with Djokovic.

Third seed Karen Khachanov and Serbian eighth seed Filip Krajinovic round out the seeded men in the top half.

Andrey Rublev and Karatsev lead the draw’s bottom half, where fifth seed Cristian Garin and #NextGenATP star Holger Rune will square off in one of the matchups of the first round. Garin and Rune are in second seed Rublev’s quarter.

Sixth seed Fabio Fognini will begin with an all-Italian contest against Marco Cecchinato, and could face Karatsev in the third round.

The 28-player ATP 250 event will be held from 18-24 April at the Novak Tennis Center, named for the World No. 1.

One man stands between Stefanos Tsitsipas and back-to-back Rolex Monte-Carlo Masters titles on Sunday. The unseeded Alejandro Davidovich Fokina, playing in his first ATP Tour final, has already beaten World No. 1 Novak Djokovic this week in Monaco. One more upset could surpass that as the biggest win of the 22-year-old’s career. 

In the doubles final, two longtime pairings and 2021 Nitto ATP Finals competitors will seek their first title of the 2022 season as top seeds Rajeev Ram and Joe Salisbury face sixth-seeded Colombians Juan Sebastian Cabal and Robert Farah.

View Schedule | View Singles Draw | View Doubles Draw

[3] Stefanos Tsitsipas vs. Alejandro Davidovich Fokina

After coming from behind to win a late-night classic against Diego Schwartzman in the quarter-finals, Tsitsipas recovered quickly to dominate Alexander Zverev, 6-4, 6-2, in the semis. That efficient result should leave him in good stead for the last leg of his title defence. 

“It’s going to take a little bit more,” said Tsitsipas, looking ahead to his third ATP Head2Head meeting with Davidovich Fokina. “He’s on a good run, in a good rhythm. I’ve played him before, he’s a good opponent, I’ve had big battles against him and I’m going to try and be as ready as possible.

“I know he’s improved from before and I’m going to have that in the back of my head, to produce the best tennis that I can.”

Tsitsipas and Davidovich Fokina met one year ago in the Monte Carlo quarter-finals, with the Spaniard retiring after dropping a 7-5 opening set. Their second meeting came in February, when Tsitsipas scored a 7-5, 6-7(1), 6-4 win in Rotterdam.

‘Foki’ is the first unseeded Monte Carlo finalist since Dusan Lajovic in 2019. He advanced to his first ATP Tour final in his fourth semi-final attempt, battling past Grigor Dimitrov, 6-4, 6-7(2), 6-3.

“I am so, so happy to be in the final. It is a dream come true,” Davidovich Fokina said following his semi-final win. “When I was a kid I was dreaming about this day.”

After describing the hard work he and his team have put in since preseason in December, he later added: “Now I am in the final, I will enjoy it and try my best.”

The Spaniard has already knocked off three ATP Masters 1000 champions on the way to the final: Djokovic, Taylor Fritz and Dimitrov. If he can take out a fourth, he will achieve the rare feat of winning his first tour-level title at that elite level.

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[1] Rajeev Ram (USA) / Joe Salisbury (GBR) vs. [6] Juan Sebastian Cabal (COL) / Robert Farah (COL)

In a doubles final well-deserving of center stage on Court Rainier III, two multiple Grand Slam-winning teams seek their best result of the 2022 season.

These teams have met five times before, with four of those matches requiring either a Match Tie-break or a third-set tie-break. Ram and Salisbury, who lead the ATP Head2Head series 4-1, took all four of those tie-breaks, including three in 2021 (Eastbourne, Wimbledon, Nitto ATP Finals). 

But Cabal and Farah won the only final contested between the teams, scoring a straight-sets win to take the 2021 Vienna title.

Both teams have dropped just one set en route to the championship match, setting up for a grand finale on Sunday.

SCHEDULE – Sunday, April 17 

COURT RAINIER III start 11:30 a.m.
[1] R. Ram (USA) / J. Salisbury (GBR) vs. [6] J. Sebastian Cabal (COL) / R. Farah (COL)

Not Before 2:30 p.m.
[3] S. Tsitsipas (GRE) vs. A. Davidovich Fokina (ESP)

Stefanos Tsitsipas conjured up more Rolex Monte-Carlo Masters magic on Saturday to take out second seed Alexander Zverev in the semi-finals and move within one win of a successful defence of his 2021 title.

The World No. 5 struck the ball cleanly throughout, and while Zverev responded with some fierce groundstrokes of his own it was the Greek who produced the goods at crucial moments in a 6-4, 6-2 victory at the ATP Masters 1000 event.

Tsitsipas was involved in one of the most topsy-turvy matches of the year late on Friday night as he battled past Diego Schwartzman in a Monte Carlo classic in the quarter-finals. The Greek showed no signs of fatigue from that battle and also avoided the lapses of concentration that had blighted his performance against Schwartzman to see victory through against Zverev in 75 minutes.

“It was good,” said Tsitsipas in his on-court interview. “I don’t know whether the long match gave me some rhythm, but I was able to play good tennis today. I’m happy with the level I was able to execute and come up with some good ideas on the court.”

The third seed’s opponent in Sunday’s final will be Alejandro Davidovich Fokina, after the Spaniard reached a maiden ATP Tour final with a 6-4, 6-7(2), 6-3 win over Grigor Dimitrov earlier on Saturday.

Tsitsipas will take a 2-0 ATP Head2Head series lead over the World No. 46 into Sunday’s clash, but the Greek is not taking anything for granted against a player who has also beaten World No. 1 Novak Djokovic and Indian Wells champion Taylor Fritz this week.

“It’s going to take a little bit more,” said Tsitsipas. “He’s on a good run, in a good rhythm. I’ve played him before, he’s a good opponent, I’ve had big battles against him and I’m going to try and be as ready as possible.

“I know he’s improved from before and I’m going to have that in the back of my head, to produce the best tennis that I can.”

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Tsitsipas looked dialled in from the start against Zverev on Court Rainier III and appeared to have the upper hand for most of the opening set as he struck the ball sweetly off both wings. The German fought hard to twice recover from a break down but Tsitsipas produced a tenth game full of variety to clinch a third break and seal the set.

The second frame was more comfortable for Tsitsipas, who gave Zverev no room to breathe and began to use his drop shot to great effect to move his opponent around the court at will. The Greek broke twice to take the set and reach a fourth Masters 1000 final.

Tennis Data Innovation’s Balance of Power shows how Tsitsipas put his foot on the gas to close out the match. The Greek struck 28% of his shots in the second set from attacking positions, compared to 23% for Zverev. (Learn more about Balance of Power.)

Tsitsipas vs. Zverev — Second Set Balance of Power:

Tsitsipas’ path to victory was paved by the constant pressure he was able to exert on the Zverev serve. According to Infosys ATP Stats, the Greek won 47 per cent (15/32) of points against his opponent’s first delivery, one of the most feared weapons on Tour.

The win extends Tsitsipas’ ATP Head2Head series lead over Zverev to 7-3. The Greek has won all three of the pair’s meetings on clay, including a five-set semi-final thriller at Roland Garros in 2021.

Following his deep run in Monte Carlo, Stefanos Tsitsipas will be put back to the test very quickly next week at the Barcelona Open Banc Sabadell, where he reached the championship match in 2021.

The top-seeded Greek could face Monte Carlo semi-finalist Grigor Dimitrov in the third round, with fifth seed Carlos Alcaraz lurking as a potential quarter-final opponent. Alcaraz could face ninth seed Nikoloz Basilashvili in a third-round battle should both men win their openers.

The 18-year-old Spaniard is set to compete on home soil for the first time since he lost to Rafael Nadal in Madrid last May. The World No. 11 holds an 18-3 record on the 2022 ATP Tour season, including title runs in Miami and Rio de Janeiro. He will enter Barcelona third in the ATP Race To Turin, behind only Nadal and Tsitsipas.

Casper Ruud and Felix Auger-Aliassime lead the bottom half of the draw, with the Canadian in line to meet Frances Tiafoe in the third-round rematch of their 2021 US Open encounter. Ruud’s first potential seeded opponent is Alexander Bublik.

Host nation Spain has three seeded entrants, with Roberto Bautista Agut and Pablo Carreno Busta joining Alcaraz. In the top half, seventh seed RBA could face Alex de Minaur in the third round. Eighth seed PCB could open against countryman Tommy Robredo — should the wild card defeat his qualifier opponent in the first round — with Italy’s Lorenzo Sonego his possible third-round opposition. Carreno Busta reached the Barcelona semi-finals one year ago, bowing out against eventual champion Nadal.

Qualifying in Barcelona begins Sunday, with main-draw play set for Monday.

Alejandro Davidovich Fokina continued his dream run at the Rolex Monte-Carlo Masters Saturday, downing Grigor Dimitrov 6-4, 6-7(2), 6-3 to reach his first ATP Tour final.

The Spaniard arrived in Monte Carlo with a 4-9 record on the season, having earned just one Top 100 win in 2022. However, the World No. 46 has produced a string of impressive performances this week, combining quality with grit to earn standout victories over World No. 1 Novak Djokovic, Indian Wells champ Taylor Fritz, Marcos Giron, David Goffin and now Dimitrov.

Competing in his maiden ATP Masters 1000 semi-final, a pumped-up Davidovich Fokina recovered from squandering a 5-3 lead in the second set as he rose to the occasion in the decider in front of a lively crowd on Court Rainier III. The 22-year-old blasted his groundstrokes with consistent depth, successfully targeted Dimitrov’s backhand and rallied from a break down in the third set to triumph after two hours and 42 minutes.

“I am so, so happy to be in the final. It is a dream come true,” Davidovich Fokina said in his on-court interview. “When I was a kid I was dreaming about this day. It is a dream and I am so happy. The second set I had my chances, but I didn’t play very well. I was so tight and he just put the ball in. The tie-break was also tight. But I went to the bathroom and said that I want this win.”

Davidovich Fokina, who reached the last eight in Monte Carlo in 2021, will be aiming to win his first tour-level title when he faces second seed Alexander Zverev or reigning champion Stefanos Tsitsipas in Sunday’s final. He was 0-3 in tour-level semi-finals heading into his match with Dimitrov, but changed that record with his proactive display to earn the biggest win of his career.

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The 22-year-old broke Dimitrov five times and looked to open up the court as he hit an array of angles to pull the Bulgarian around. With his hard-fought victory, Davidovich Fokina now leads Dimitrov 2-0 in their ATP Head2Head series, having also defeated the former World No. 3 on clay in Rome last year. By reaching the final, Davidovich Fokina is projected to climb 19 places to No. 27 in the ATP Rankings and will crack the Top 20 for first time if he wins the title.

“He started the second set well and had the chances to break me again for 3-0. But that hold gave me power to keep pushing,” Davidovich Fokina said. “Now I am in the final I will enjoy it and try my best.”

The Spaniard made a fast start as he showcased his current confidence levels with an all-court display in the first set. Davidovich Fokina crushed his groundstrokes with heavy topspin to move 3-1 ahead as he earned an early break. According to Infosys ATP Stats, the World No. 46 did not face a break point in the opener and sealed the set when Dimitrov could only hit a forehand long when pinned deep behind the baseline.

The 30-year-old responded quickly at the start of the second set, though, as Davidovich Fokina’s intensity slightly dropped. However, from 2-0 up, Dimitrov started to hit his backhands short again, which allowed Davidovich Fokina to gain the upper hand in rallies and dictate. The Spaniard won four straight games, but from 5-4 he was unable to serve out the match as nerves appeared to impact his ball striking. Dimitrov then played the more aggressive tennis in the tie-break to force a decider.

Fuelled with confidence, Dimitrov looked as if he was heading for the finish line when he moved 2-0 ahead in the third set. But crucially, Davidovich Fokina saved four break points at 0-2, including one with an underarm serve. His hold changed the momentum of the match once again, with the Spaniard winning six of the next seven games to triumph.

Dimitrov was playing in his second semi-final in Monte Carlo, having enjoyed a run to the last four in 2018. The World No. 29, who upset fourth seed Casper Ruud earlier this week, is an eight-time tour-level titlist. However, the 30-year-old has not lifted a trophy since he clinched the Nitto ATP Finals crown in London in 2017.

Rajeev Ram and Joe Salisbury reached a maiden Rolex Monte-Carlo Masters final in dramatic style on Saturday as they overcame Rohan Bopanna and Jamie Murray in a semi-final epic at the ATP Masters 1000 event.

Ram and Salisbury needed a strong Match Tie-break performance to see off their unseeded opponents, who had taken the first set with a solitary break. The top seeds failed to convert the only break point opportunity they carved out in the match but held their nerve to clinch a 3-6, 7-6(4), 11-9 victory.

Ram and Salisbury’s comeback win was powered by a strong serving performance. They won 82 per cent (31/38) of points behind their first delivery overall, according to Infosys ATP Stats.

Bopanna and Murray won 74 points in the match to Ram and Salisbury’s 67 but were second best at crucial moments on Court Rainier III. Bopanna has a career-high doubles ranking of No. 3 while Murray is a former World No. 1, but the duo was playing as a team for the first time this week.

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If the American-British duo can lift its maiden clay-court trophy in Monte Carlo it will cap a perfect week for 29-year-old Salisbury, who became the world’s top-ranked doubles player for the first time on Monday, 4 April. He is only the second British player after Murray to achieve that feat.

Ram and Salisbury will now face Colombians Juan Sebastian Cabal and Robert Farah in Sunday’s final after the sixth seeds defeated Marcelo Arevalo and Jean-Julien Rojer, 7-5, 6-3.

Cabal and Farah won 81 per cent (34/42) of points behind their first delivery and saved all four break points they faced to advance after 85 minutes.

The pair has won 19 tour-level titles together and will be aiming to clinch their third Masters 1000 crown together on Sunday. It will be a tough task, though, with Ram and Salisbury leading the Colombians 4-1 in their ATP Head2Head series.