Alcaraz Sets Potential Tsitsipas QF Clash In Barcelona

#NextGenATP Spaniard Carlos Alcaraz earned his 20th tour-level win of the season Friday at the Barcelona Open Banc Sabadell, overcoming countryman Jaume Munar 6-3, 6-3 to set a potential quarter-final clash with Stefanos Tsitsipas.

Last year, it took the 18-year-old until the US Open in September to hit the 20-win landmark. However the fifth seed is a different beast now, with his 71-minute victory over Munar moving him into his fourth quarter-final of a standout 2022 campaign.

Alcaraz produced a physical and powerful performance against the wild card, stepping inside the baseline to attack Munar’s second serve as he moved up the court throughout to dictate.

The teenager fired 13 winners in the first set and demonstrated great feel as he used the drop shot to great effect to improve to 2-1 in his ATP Head2Head series against Munar, with all three meetings coming on clay.

“It is amazing to play here,” Alcaraz said in his on-court interview. “It is even more special when I win. I think I am playing at a good level and I love playing in front of the Spanish crowd. I am now focused on the next round. My energy levels are at 100 per cent. I will give 100 per cent against Grigor or Tsitsipas.”

The 2021 Intesa Sanpaolo Next Gen ATP Finals titlist was outside the Top 100 in the ATP Rankings when he lost in the first round on his Barcelona debut last season. Playing at a career-high No. 11 this week, Alcaraz is bidding to win his third tour-level trophy of the year in front of his home support in Spain.

The 18-year-old became the youngest ATP 500 champion when he triumphed in Rio de Janeiro in February, before he captured his maiden ATP Masters 1000 title in Miami earlier this month.

In other action, Greek Tsitsipas takes on former World No. 3 Grigor Dimitrov in the third round, with the winner meeting Alcaraz later on Friday. The World No. 5, who eliminated Ilya Ivashka in his opening match, arrived in Barcelona off the back of retaining his Rolex Monte-Carlo Masters title last week. Alcaraz leads Tsitsipas 2-0 in their ATP Head2Head series, while the Spaniard has never faced Dimitrov.

Alex de Minaur also advanced into the last eight after South African Lloyd Harris was forced to retire. The Australian was leading 6-0 in 20 minutes when the match was halted. De Minaur will next meet World No. 10 Cameron Norrie or Hungarian Marton Fucsovics.