Defending champion Carlos Alcaraz fought through windy conditions to defeat fellow Spaniard Roberto Bautista Agut in a 6-3, 7-5 victory. Although Alcaraz was broken once in the first set and twice in the second, he still managed to win the match in the Rafa Nadal center court. The 19-year-old is trying to become the first repeat champion in Barcelona since Nadal won three consecutive titles from 2016-18. Alcaraz’s next opponent will be another Spaniard, Alejandro Davidovich Fokina, who defeated Emil Ruusuvuori 6-4, 7-5.
Alcaraz overcomes windy conditions to beat Bautista Agut
Second-seeded Tsitsipas secured his spot in the quarterfinals after beating Denis Shapovalov 6-3, 6-2. Tsitsipas was able to save both break points he faced against the Canadian player, moving to 18-5 for the season. This marks Tsitsipas’ fifth appearance in Barcelona, with his best results being a loss in the final to Nadal in 2018 and 2021. He will now face Alex de Minaur, who advanced with a walkover from Grigor Dimitrov.
Casper Ruud, who was coming off a title run in Estoril, was upset by 15th-seeded Francisco Cerúndolo in a 7-6 (5), 6-3 loss. The Norwegian player was denied a second consecutive appearance in the quarterfinals in Barcelona. Cerúndolo, who is ranked 32nd, will now face 12th-seeded Daniel Evans, who beat Karen Khachanov 6-3, 6-4.
Sinner reaches seventh quarterfinal of the season
Fourth-seeded Jannik Sinner was able to defeat Yoshihito Nishioka 6-1, 4-6, 6-3 and reach his seventh quarterfinal of the season. Although he experienced a second-set letdown, the Italian player moved to 26-6 for the season, having reached the semifinals in Monte Carlo. He will now face Lorenzo Musetti, who rallied to defeat Cameron Norrie 3-6, 6-4, 6-1.
Both Alcaraz and Tsitsipas expressed their happiness to advance to the quarterfinals of the Barcelona Open. Alcaraz admitted that the match against Bautista Agut was tough due to the difficult wind conditions, but he was pleased to find solutions and adapt to the situation. Tsitsipas also commented on the difficult playing conditions, but he was satisfied with his performance and decision-making during the match against Shapovalov.
