PREVIEW Barcelona Open Semi-Finals headlined by Carlos Alcaraz facing Arthur Fils in repeat or revenge
ATPSaturday, 19 April 2025 at 10:30
It is semi-finals day at the Barcelona Open as we head towards the conclusion of the so called Conde de Godo Trophy with the main protagonist still very much involved in Carlos Alcaraz. Our Preview looks ahead to a sumptuous day of action.
With Casper Ruud exiting yesterday, we will either get a returning champion and a resumption as Alcaraz didn't play last year. He claimed the title back in 2023 and so hasn't lost since at this tournament.
He will be favourite to seal it again but he has a player out for revenge after a recent defeat and a rising upstart at that who will see him as the big scalp. There is also the resurgence of a player who many thought would be among Alcaraz and Sinner by now but has been steady over spectacular. He proved a point by banishing the Head to Head record being against him but now can he prove a point by winning the title?
Karen Khachanov v Holger Rune
That is the first tie we focus on. Holger Rune essentially put a middle finger up to the doubters who chimed and the ATP in particular for him being written off due to a 5-0 Head to Head deficit against Casper Ruud.
Ruud though was unsurprisingly favourite as he is well known for his clay court prowess and had that standout ratio. But Rune used it as motivation instead of a hindrance.
In the same vein that Alejandro Davidovich Fokina did earlier in the week against Andrey Rublev where he had a poor Head to Head but instead of being bogged down by it, he reversed it. Tennis is often an on the day game so different factors can either help or hinder and so unless it is a Djokovic v Monfils for instance even, it can always be turned around.
Holger Rune said screw your head to head yesterday...
Karen Khachanov didn't let ADF continue his form through. Previously a bit of a spoiler in the ATP 1000 tournaments and Grand Slams, he would often pop up with a demon run and sit as a bit of an unheralded name alongside the big guns.
But he is always there or thereabouts. Even when he is off form, he finds a way to get back to it eventually which is the mark of the man. He has seen off Cameron Norrie, Jaume Munar and Davidovich Fokina this week so while it hasn't exactly been the toughest run, it is the cards that are dealt.
Now he will either sink or swim against Rune. There is not much this time to read into their Head to Head luckily for the Dane. He technically holds a 1-0 lead as they faced off in an exhibition back in 2023. The traditional Kooyong Classic in Australia prior to the Grand Slam.
But they have never met officially and while Rune will be seen as the favourite, he does have a tendency to be a bit of a mixed bag. Given the joy that the Ruud win gave him though, it could be an infectious mix.
Match Info:
Karen Khachanov - Holger Rune
Start time (local): Sat, 19 Apr, 1:30 PM
Start time (your time): Sat, 19 Apr, 7:30 PM
Court: Pista Rafa Nadal
Tournament: Barcelona Open Banc Sabadell
Round: Semifinal
Head-to-Head
| Khachanov | Rune | |
|---|---|---|
| H2H Record | ||
| Total Wins | 0 | 1 |
| Win Streak | 0 | 1 |
| Ranking | ||
| Official Ranking | 27 | 13 |
| Race Ranking | 81 | 15 |
| Live Ranking | ||
| Live Ranking | 25 (+2) | 11 (+2) |
| Live Race Ranking | 49 (+31) | 11 (+4) |
| Bios | ||
| Age | 28 (21 May 1996) | 21 (29 Apr 2003) |
| Birthplace | Moscow, Russia | Gentofte, Denmark |
| Residence | Dubai, United Arab Emirates | Monte Carlo, Monaco |
| Height | 6'5" (198cm) | - |
| Weight | 192lbs (87kg) | - |
| Plays | Right-handed (two-handed backhand) | Right-handed (two-handed backhand) |
| Turned Pro | 2013 | - |
| Coach | Vedran Martić, José Clavet | Kenneth Carlsen, Lars Christensen |
| YTD W/L | 8-8 (50%) | 14-6 (70%) |
| YTD Titles | - | - |
| Career Titles | 7 | 4 |
| Prize Money | US $17,730,963 - 42nd all-time leader in earnings | US $11,870,161 |
| Past Meetings | ||
|
H Rune d K Khachanov Exhibition Kooyong Classic -6-4 | 7-5 10 Jan 2024 |
||
Carlos Alcaraz v Arthur Fils
Then it is the turn of the match of the day and one which no doubt is a must watch as the current king of Spanish clay faces the new kid on the block.
Well he is not new as such but he continues to show that he is levels above the other Next Gen stars who have emerged alongside him as Carlos Alcaraz takes on Arthur Fils.
At a time when French tennis is going through a bit of an odd spell, Fils is bringing it back. Richard Gasquet will retire shortly, Adrian Mannarino had a rise again but has fallen quicker than he rose.
Ugo Humbert is often stable but is not producing the same tennis as he has done in the past 18 months. While in the women's game even, Caroline Garcia was a standard bearer and is now not in the top 100.
Kind of similar to the Brits in that Andy Murray left and Emma Raducanu was woefully out of form and Jack Draper stepped up to anchor the ship albeit in this case sans Grand Slams. Fils has done that and will be lauded when he returns home after an incredible clay court run.
One of the top stars to watch right now on tour, Arthur Fils will look for revenge.
The term new manager bounce is used in football when a team hires a new coach and immediately starts winning but Fils has had fire coach, keep winning on the other hand. He sacked Sebastian Grosjean when he had reached back-to-back ATP 1000 Quarter-Finals and has now reached a semi-final.
He was only restricted last week in Monte-Carlo by Alcaraz so it says a lot about his current form but will the Spaniard dent his chances again. It was perhaps a tad hard to know what to expect from Carlitos this week as although he won the title last week, the wear and tear is an issue.
Especially for a player who is prone to getting injured when he is on a run, but touchwood he is playing even better tennis than he did last week. The Laslo Djere win was sublime and he picked apart Alex de Minaur who leaves the two tournaments prior to the Roland Garros win with positives but also two crushing losses when he has played so well.
Fils got beat in the Quarter-Final last week by Alcaraz 4-6, 7-5, 6-3 with the Frenchman lamenting missed opportunities and he will know with the crowd firmly on the side of Alcaraz that he needs to strike while the iron's hot. But perhaps he will also be buoyed by not playing as such yesterday.
Stefanos Tsitsipas retired after just six minutes yesterday so Fils was able to walk off court as soon as he arrived. Alcaraz of course played for a lot longer. So that could be a benefit but will it be repeat or revenge? A tie no doubt either way that tennis fans will want to see again and again this clay court season.
Match Info:
Carlos Alcaraz - Arthur Fils
Start time (local): Sat, 19 Apr, 4:00 PM
Start time (your time): Sat, 19 Apr, 10:00 PM
Court: Pista Rafa Nadal
Tournament: Barcelona Open Banc Sabadell
Round: Semifinal
Head-to-Head
| Alcaraz | Fils | |
|---|---|---|
| H2H Record | ||
| Total Wins | 1 | 0 |
| Win Streak | 1 | 0 |
| Ranking | ||
| Official Ranking | 2 | 14 |
| Race Ranking | 1 | 23 |
| Live Ranking | ||
| Live Ranking | 2 | 13 (+1) |
| Live Race Ranking | 1 | 15 (+8) |
| Bios | ||
| Age | 21 (5 May 2003) | 20 (12 Jun 2004) |
| Birthplace | El Palmar, Murcia, Spain | Courcouronnes, France |
| Residence | Villena, Spain | - |
| Height | 6'0" (183cm) | - |
| Weight | 163lbs (74kg) | - |
| Plays | Right-handed (two-handed backhand) | Right-handed (two-handed backhand) |
| Turned Pro | 2018 | - |
| Coach | Juan Carlos Ferrero (2019–), Samuel López (2024–) | Sébastien Grosjean (2023–) |
| YTD W/L | 22-4 (85%) | 15-6 (71%) |
| YTD Titles | 2 | - |
| Career Titles | 18 | 3 |
| Prize Money | US $40,231,787 - 8th all-time in earnings | US $5,258,069 |
| Past Meetings | ||
|
C Alcaraz d A Fils ATP Monte Carlo - Quarterfinal4-6 | 7-5 | 6-3 11 Apr 2025 |
||
Schedule - Barcelona Open
2025 Barcelona Open Banc Sabadell (19-04)
Pista Rafa Nadal
| Semifinal (Men's Singles) |
| 1:30PM Local |
| Karen Khachanov |
|
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| Semifinal (Men's Singles) |
| 4:00PM Local |
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