Alejandro Davidovich Fokina broke new ground Friday at the Rolex Monte-Carlo Masters, overcoming 10th seed Taylor Fritz 2-6, 6-4, 6-3 to reach his first ATP Masters 1000 semi-final.

The Spaniard upset World No. 1 Novak Djokovic in the second round and he demonstrated high levels of confidence against Fritz on Court Rainier III to further back up that win, after also eliminating Marrakech champion David Goffin in the third round.

The 22-year-old played with great intensity as he struck his groundstrokes with width to pull Fritz around the court. Davidovich Fokina consistently engaged the crowd throughout with his shotmaking and fist-pumping, advancing after two hours and 24 minutes.

“I am so, so happy,” Davidovich Fokina said in his on-court interview. “Last year I reached the quarter-finals. The emotions to be in the semi-finals are so high. I am enjoying every point. In the first set I had a lot of chances to break but I didn’t do it. But I just stayed focused and believed in myself.”

The World No. 46 now leads Fritz 2-0 in their ATP Head2Head series and will next face 2018 semi-finalist Grigor Dimitrov or 11th seed Hubert Hurkacz in the last four.

“When you beat the World No. 1 it gives you a lot of confidence physically, mentally and technically,” Davidovich Fokina added. “I am pushing myself every match to play harder and harder.”

Davidovich Fokina has a strong record at the clay-court event, having defeated Top 10 star Matteo Berrettini en route to the quarter-finals last season. Earlier this year he enjoyed a run to the quarter-finals in Doha, but arrived in Monte Carlo off the back of three straight defeats.

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Despite the scoreline, the first set was a close affair, with Fritz playing better in the key moments as he fended off all five break points. The American did struggle with a problem with his lower left ab, but it didn’t impact his level as he crushed forehands and demonstrated great touch around the net to move ahead.

Davidovich Fokina came roaring back in the second set though, stepping deep behind the baseline to take heavy cuts at the ball as he powered his shots with fierce accuracy. The Spaniard finally broke in the ninth game before he levelled the match on his first set point, letting out a scream in delight.

The Spaniard continued to put his foot down in the second set as he looked the fresher of the two, dominating the longer exchanges to triumph.

Fritz ended Rafael Nadal’s unbeaten start to the season to lift his maiden Masters 1000 trophy in Indian Wells in March and transferred his strong hard-court form onto the clay this week at the Monte Carlo Country Club.

The 24-year-old defeated wild card Lucas Catarina, Croatian Marin Cilic and countryman Sebastian Korda to become the first American to reach the last eight in Monte Carlo since Sam Querrey in 2008.

The Rolex Monte-Carlo Masters has progressed to the quarter-final stage, with four Top 10 seeds and a pair of unseeded players among those still in contention. Friday’s quarter-final lineup is headlined by the third career ATP Head2Head meeting between Alexander Zverev and Monaco fan-favourite Jannik Sinner, while defending champion Stefanos Tsitsipas takes on Diego Schwartzman in another must-see match.

While singles action takes centre stage on Court Rainier III, the doubles quarter-finals will feature on Court Des Princes. with five of the top six seeds still in contention.

View Schedule | View Singles Draw | View Doubles Draw

[2] Alexander Zverev (GER) vs. [9] Jannik Sinner (ITA)

After dismissing one top five seed in Andrey Rublev, first-time Monte Carlo quarter-finalist Sinner will look to repeat that feat against Zverev. The Italian has enjoyed tremendous fan support on his run to the last eight, never more so than in his comeback victory over Rublev on Thursday.

“It is for me very, very special playing here,” Sinner said of the electric atmosphere on Court Rainier III. “Obviously many, many Italians [in the] crowd. It’s incredible.”

After trailing by a set and a break and taking a medical timeout for treatment on a foot blister, Sinner turned the match around against Rublev, running out a comfortable winner in the end. 

“I know blisters now quite well,” he said post-match, looking ahead to Friday’s quarter-final. The 20-year-old was forced to retire with a similar problem in the Miami Open presented by Itau quarter-finals.

“I don’t think it’s a concern,” he added. “We have to treat it a little bit, obviously, but let’s see… Tomorrow is an important match.”

After facing the heavy-hitting Rublev, he can expect more of the same from Zverev, who powered past Pablo Carreno Busta to reach the quarter-finals.

“To win the biggest tournaments in the world, like Masters series, like Grand Slams, you have to be aggressive,” Zverev said. “I’m not going to win big titles just by pushing the ball.”

While Zverev has won five ATP Masters 1000 titles, he has been beyond the last 16 just once in five previous Monte Carlo appearances, when he reached the 2018 semi-finals

[3] Stefanos Tsitsipas (GRE) vs. [12] Diego Schwartzman (ARG)

Defending champion Tsitsipas has extended his perfect set record from 2021 this week, notching a pair of straight-sets wins over Fabio Fognini and Laslo Djere to make it 13 consecutive stanzas won in Monte Carlo. Schwartzman reached the quarter-finals behind two comeback three-setters against Karen Khachanov and Lorenzo Musetti, either side of a win over Marton Fucsovics.

The Argentine leads the ATP Head2Head series between the pair 2-1, including a January victory in three sets at the ATP Cup.

Both men are experienced in the late stages of ATP Masters 1000s, with Tsitsipas playing in his 13th quarter-final and Schwartzman in his seventh. It’s a fifth clay-court quarter-final for the Greek at this level and fourth for Schwartzman, who matched his best run in Monte Carlo (2017) by reaching the last eight.

“Both [Schwartzman and Musetti] can compete well on clay,” Tsitsipas said before his quarter-final opponent was confirmed. “They both have a good game for clay courts and all I have to do is be ready and show up with good mentality and do my job with passion and dedication.”

[10] Taylor Fritz (USA) vs. Alejandro Davidovich Fokina (ESP)

Playing in his fourth quarter-final in the past five ATP Masters 1000 events, Taylor Fritz faces the man who knocked off Novak Djokovic in the second round. After a pair of three-set victories to open his Monte Carlo campaign, the 10th seed got through Sebastian Korda, 7-6(4), 7-5, in an all-American last-16 matchup.

Spain’s Alejandro Davidovich Fokina has dropped just one set on the week, to Djokovic, and scored his most convincing win of the tournament with a 6-4, 6-1 decision over David Goffin on Thursday.

The quarter-final opponents have met just once before on the ATP Tour, with Davidovich Fokina winning in straight sets on the clay of Estoril in 2019. Fritz got the better of the Spaniard in qualifying for the 2018 Mutua Madrid Open.

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[11] Hubert Hurkacz (POL) vs. Grigor Dimitrov (BUL)

Hubert Hurkacz, the 2021 Miami champion, will contest in his first clay-court ATP Masters 1000 quarter-final in this matchup. Dimitrov is in his fourth Monte Carlo quarter-final, with his best result in Monaco his 2018 semi-final run.

The pair’s ATP Head2Head history includes just one match, but it was a good one: Dimitrov defeated the Pole in a third-set tie-break in the quarter-finals of the 2021 BNP Paribas Open.

Both men have dropped just one set en route to the quarter-finals. Hurkacz is yet to face a seeded opponent on the week, but defeated 2017 Monte Carlo finalist Albert Ramos-Vinolas on Thursday. Dimitrov has dismissed 15th seed Nikoloz Basilashvili (via second-set retirement) and fourth seed Casper Ruud.

“It is always tough this week because you are switching surfaces,” Dimitrov said of his approach in Monte Carlo. “So I try and not be too tough on myself in practice. I just try to do the simple things. It is going so well so far.”

Doubles Quarter-final Action

A doubles tournament with few upsets has set the stage for a supreme bill of quarter-final action Friday on Court Des Princes. Top seeds Rajeev Ram and Joe Salisbury will take on fifth seeds Tim Puetz and Michael Venus, but only after second-seeded Croatians Nikola Mektic and Mate Pavic face sixth-seeded Colombians Juan Sebastian Cabal and Robert Farah.

Salisbury overtook Pavic for the top spot in the ATP Doubles Rankings after the Miami Open presented by Itau, where he reached the quarter-finals with Ram, and the top two seeds remain on course for a showdown in the Monte Carlo final.

SCHEDULE – FRIDAY, APRIL 14

COURT RAINIER III start 11:00 a.m.
A. Davidovich Fokina (ESP) vs. [10] T. Fritz (USA)
G. Dimitrov (BUL) vs. [11] H. Hurkacz (POL)
[9] J. Sinner (ITA) vs. [2] A. Zverev (GER)
[12] D. Schwartzman ARG) vs. [3] S. Tsitsipas (GRE)

COURT DES PRINCES start 11:00 a.m.
[3] M. Granollers (ESP) / H. Zeballos (ARG) vs. R. Bopanna (IND) / J. Murray (GBR)
[6] J. Cabal (COL) / R. Farah (COL) vs. [2] N. Mektic / M. Pavic
[1] R. Ram (USA) / J. Salisbury (GBR) vs. [5] T. Puetz (GER) / M. Venus (AUS)
[8] M. Arevalo (HON) / J. Rojer (NED) vs. [WC] M. Melo (BRA) / A. Zverev (GER)

Hubert Hurkacz not only reached the Rolex Monte-Carlo Masters quarter-finals on Thursday with a 7-6(2), 6-2 win against 2017 finalist Albert Ramos-Vinolas, but he also entered the season of opportunity.

From this week through the week of 20 June — a span of 11 weeks — the Polish star is defending just 188 ATP Rankings points. Nobody ranked ahead of the World No. 14 is defending fewer than 300 points during the same stretch.

By advancing to the last eight in Monte Carlo, Hurkacz has already earned 180 points for this tournament alone. With his strong run in the Principality — which will continue on Friday against former World No. 3 Grigor Dimitrov — Hurkacz has already covered 96 per cent of the points he is defending for the next two-and-a-half months.

Hurkacz’s Upcoming Points To Defend

Hurkacz can still gain another 820 points in Monte Carlo, and he is competing in the ATP 500 in Barcelona before ATP Masters 1000 events in Madrid and Rome and the season’s second Grand Slam at Roland Garros. With such a wealth of points up for grabs, the Pole has a chance to make a big move.

One year ago, he claimed just one win during his clay-court season and the two grass-court tournaments he played before Wimbledon. This year, he is off to a much better start for this stretch with victories against three clay-court standouts in Monaco: Hugo Dellien, Pedro Martinez and Ramos-Vinolas.

At Wimbledon, Hurkacz will defend 720 points because he reached the semi-finals at SW19 last year. But until then, plenty of opportunity awaits.

Top seeds Rajeev Ram and Joe Salisbury did not face a break point in their Rolex Monte-Carlo Masters opener until the last two points of the match.

Facing Ariel Behar and Gonzalo Escobar Friday on Court Des Princes, the American-British duo saved them both to close out a 6-2, 6-3 victory. The second break chance came in a deciding point that doubled as match point, and the top seeds took the opportunity to slam the door shut on any last-ditch comeback attempt.

Ram and Salisbury are through to their third straight ATP Masters 1000 quarter-final, with last-four runs at the Australian Open and Indian Wells the best results of the 2022 season for the pair.

The last ATP Masters 1000 event in which they failed to register a win was in Paris last November, when they fell to Michael Venus and Tim Puetz. The Australian-German pairing awaits in Friday’s quarter-finals after it notched 4-6, 6-6, 10-4 win over Aslan Karatsev and John Peers on Wednesday.

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In the only other completed doubles match on Thursday, Rohan Bopanna and Jamie Murray edged Taylor Fritz and Sebastian Korda, 6-4, 6-7(9), 10-7. Fritz had previously beaten his American teammate in the Monte Carlo singles draw to open the day’s play.

Third seeds Marcel Granollers and Horacio Zeballos also advanced to the quarter-finals, courtesy of a walkover against Daniel Evans and Diego Schwartzman, with the Argentine withdrawing due to fatigue following a three-set singles win over Lorenzo Musetti.

In a Thursday matchup of two of the in-form players of the 2022 ATP Tour season, Jannik Sinner engineered an inspired turnaround against Andrey Rublev to reach the Rolex Monte-Carlo Masters quarter-finals for the first time, much to the delight of the Monaco crowd.

“It is for me very, very special playing here,” Sinner said of the electric atmosphere on Court Rainier III. “Obviously many, many Italians [in the] crowd. It’s incredible.”

With a 5-7, 6-1, 6-3 victory, Sinner improves to 19-3 on the year while 2021 Monte Carlo finalist Rublev drops to 19-5. The Italian has now reached the last eight at consecutive ATP Masters 1000 events following his Miami run in March.

After being forced to retire with a foot blister in his Miami quarter-final against Francisco Cerundolo, Sinner received a medical timeout early in the second set to have his right toe re-dressed. But he was able to overcome any discomfort to score what finished as a convincing win to close the day’s play in Monaco.

“I know blisters now quite well,” he said post-match, looking ahead to his quarter-final showdown with second seed Alexander Zverev. “I don’t think it’s a concern. We have to treat it a little bit, obviously, but let’s see… Tomorrow is an important match.”

Both Sinner and Rublev showed great attacking intent throughout, punishing short balls with no mercy, but the Italian’s defense and retrieving frustrated his opponent more and more as the match wore on.

After seeming to struggle with his movement late in the opening set, Sinner showed no signs of slowing down after taking the initiative in the second. He looked in real danger after dropping serve in the opening game of set two — a repeat of his start to the match — but found a new level to dominate the match, finishing with 35 winners. 

“It was tough. I tried to play every point,” Sinner assessed. “I know him quite well. He plays quite a lot with the forehand. I tried to move him a little bit.”

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After winning six straight games to take the second, including a run of nine points in a row, Sinner edged in front twice in the decider. His second break of the set put him in the lead for good, and his seventh break of the match closed out the victory after two hours and 20 minutes.

Sinner, a Miami quarter-finalist each of the last two years, is through to his first ATP Masters 1000 quarter-final on clay. He has already reached a pair of Grand Slam quarter-finals in his young career, at Roland Garros in 2020 and in January at the Australian Open.

For Juan Carlos Ferrero, the seaside setting at the Rolex Monte-Carlo Masters is something unique.

“The atmosphere around the courts is beautiful,” Ferrero recently told ATP Uncovered. “You can see the sea all the time and there’s very few tournaments in the year where you have that chance, so it’s one of my favourite tournaments of all time.”

The 2003 Roland Garros champion enjoys equally happy on-court memories from the ATP Masters 1000 event at the Monte Carlo Country Club. The Spaniard clinched back-to-back titles there in 2002 and 2003, the second of which contributed to his rise to No. 1 in the ATP Rankings in September 2003.

The calibre of opponent Ferrero overcame in both finals made the achievement even more impressive. “It was very special for me to win those titles because I won against two very difficult opponents on clay,” he said.

Ferrero may have already clinched his maiden Masters 1000 title in 2001 at the Internazionali BNL d’Italia, but his 2002 final opponent in Monte Carlo could hardly have been tougher. The 1998 champion Carlos Moya had taken out top seed Lleyton Hewitt as well as Marat Safin to earn his spot in the championship match.

Yet a long-haul battle on the red dirt was Ferrero’s bread and butter, and a 7-5, 6-3, 6-4 victory brought him a second Masters 1000 title in style. “[It was] best of five [sets], of course, and a little bit windy,” Ferrero said. “It was very hot. I was used to playing under these kinds of conditions.”

There were no such favours from the weather a year later. After battling past top dirtballers Felix Mantilla, Gaston Gaudio and Alberto Martin on his way to a final clash with Guillermo Coria, Ferrero had to prove his adaptability in order to defend his title.

“I remember it was rain-delayed, because it was a very dark day,” Ferrero said of the championship match. “They made the final best of three because of the weather.”

The change of conditions and format had no bearing on the outcome, however, as Ferrero reigned supreme once again in the Principality with a dominant 6-2 6-2 win.

“It was an unbelievable match for me because it was no mistakes and a lot of winners,” Ferrero recalled. “it was a very clean match.”

Ferrero is now the coach of one of the fastest-rising athletes in the world, Miami Open presented by Itau champion Carlos Alcaraz. The 42-year-old believes reflecting on his own past is something that can help his 18-year-old charge.

“For him, I think it’s very important,” said Ferrero. “He’s still growing up, he’s still very young. I try to give all my experience to him.

“We talk sometimes about those matches, what I felt at that time or what I was thinking before important matches. I try to share the things that I think he’s going to need most when he steps on the court.”

Could this be the week Alexander Zverev claims the lone clay-court ATP Masters 1000 title he is missing? Already a champion in Madrid and Rome, the German is now three wins from adding a Monte Carlo trophy to his collection.

Zverev defeated 13th seed Pablo Carreno Busta 6-2, 7-5 on Thursday to reach the quarter-finals of the Rolex Monte-Carlo Masters. The second seed will face fifth seed Andrey Rublev or ninth seed Jannik Sinner for a spot in the last four.

“For the second clay-court match of the season, I can’t complain too much,” Zverev said in his on-court interview. “Yes, I have lost focus a little bit in the second set, but at the end of the day, he’s somebody that can really play. I’m happy with a two-set win.”

Carreno Busta has proven a tough foe for Zverev in the past, particularly in the 2020 US Open semi-finals, when the Spaniard won the first two sets before the German was able to rally. But on the red clay, the five-time Masters 1000 champion had too much firepower in a one-hour, 36-minute victory.

Zverev struggled at times in his opening win against Federico Delbonis, but raised his level against Carreno Busta. The 24-year-old had the superior firepower, and was able to unleash powerful shots from neutral positions whereas his opponent struggled to put him on the back foot often.

“To win the biggest tournaments in the world, like Masters series, like Grand Slams, you have to be aggressive,” Zverev said. “I’m not going to win big titles just by pushing the ball.”

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Zverev lost his serve immediately in the second set, but never panicked. He converted five of his 14 break points to reach the Monte Carlo quarter-finals for the second time in his sixth appearance. He is now 10-5 in the Principality.

The two-time Nitto ATP Finals champion was most pleased with his serving performance. Zverev won 79 per cent of his first-serve points compared to just 57 per cent for Carreno Busta.

“It’s great, because especially on a clay court, especially here where it’s a little bit slower I think than other clay courts that we play on, it is very important to get that confidence going on your serve,” Zverev said. “All around, it’s important to get these kinds of wins.”

Stefanos Tsitsipas’ title defence at the Rolex Monte-Carlo Masters continued to gather pace Thursday when the Greek overcame Laslo Djere 7-5, 7-6(1) to reach the quarter-finals.

The World No. 5 did not drop a set en route to his first ATP Masters 1000 title at the clay-court event in 2021 and has been in ruthless form once again this week, backing up his opening win against 2019 champion Fabio Fognini with a consistent display against Djere on Court Rainier III.

“I knew I had to be alert,” Tsitsipas said in his on-court interview. “He is someone who competes very well on clay. He stays consistent and puts a lot of balls back and I really had to work hard for this win. It was important to get a good dynamic start in the tie-break and stay in rallies and take my chances when they appeared.”

Tsitsipas served well and remained patient throughout, waiting for his chances before raising his intensity in the crucial moments as he caused the Serbian damage with his heavy forehand to triumph after one hour and 52 minutes. According to Tennis Data Innovation’s Balance of Power, Tsitsipas played from an attacking position 23 per cent of the time compared to 19 per cent for Djere, which allowed him to control the action more often (Learn more about Balance of Power).

The 23-year-old has captured seven tour-level titles in his career, but has not lifted a trophy since Lyon last May. Tsitsipas will continue his bid to change that when he faces 12th seed Diego Schwartzman in his 13th Masters 1000 quarter-final.

The Argentine ended #NextGenATP Italian Lorenzo Musetti’s run with a hard-fought 2-6, 6-4, 6-3 victory on Court des Princes. In an entertaining match full of stunning shotmaking, it was Schwartzman who prevailed in two hours and 34 minutes to reach the last eight for the second time in Monte Carlo (2017).

“Both [Schwartzman and Musetti] can compete well on clay,” Tsitsipas added. “They both have a good game for clay courts and all I have to do is be ready and show up with good mentality and do my job with passion and dedication.” 

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The third seed now leads Djere 2-0 in their ATP Head2Head series, having also defeated the World No. 62 in Acapulco in February. The 2019 Nitto ATP Finals champion arrived in Monte Carlo off the back of a disappointing fourth-round exit at the Miami Open presented by Itau, but he has quickly adjusted to the clay at the Monte Carlo Country Club.

In an even opening set, Djere played proactively as he looked to take the clash to Tsitsipas. The Serbian matched the third seed’s ball striking from the back of the court but faulted at the key moment, with Greek breaking in the 12th game when his depth on return caused Djere problems.

Fuelled by momentum, Tsitsipas continued to soak up Djere’s powerful forehands in the second set. The Greek demonstrated great defence as he scampered around the baseline to stay in points before he turned the tables in rallies with his aggressive striking. According to Infosys ATP Stats, Tsitsipas won 95 per cent (19/20) of his first-serve points in the set and held his nerve in the tie-break to advance.

Djere was aiming to reach the quarter-finals at a Masters 1000 event for the first time in his career, having defeated Maxime Cressy and Lorenzo Sonego en route to the third round.