Day 6 at the Rolex Monte-Carlo Masters whittled the field down to four, as the quarter-finals delivered an upset, a demolition job, a composed win, and a thrilling three-setter.
In the opener, Alejandro Davidovich Fokina kept his cool, dispatching Alexei Popyrin 6-3, 6-2 to return to the semi-finals for the second time in Monte-Carlo.
Carlos Alcaraz then survived a gruelling test against Arthur Fils, rallying from a set and a break down to secure a 4-6, 7-5, 6-3 victory.
Later in the day, Alex de Minaur created headlines, obliterating Grigor Dimitrov 6-0, 6-0 in a rare double bagel, and in the day's final match, Lorenzo Musetti toppled three-time champion Stefanos Tsitsipas 1-6, 6-3, 6-4, his first win over the Greek in six tries.
We now have two Spaniards, an Aussie and an Italian, vying for the title. In tomorrow's semis, Musetti faces De Minaur, while Alcaraz takes on Davidovich Fokina for a shot at the final.
Here's how the quarter-finals unfolded.
Day Six 2025 Monte Carlo Quarter Final Results
| Winner | Loser | Scoreline |
|---|---|---|
| Lorenzo Musetti (13) | Stefanos Tsitsipas (6) | 1-6 6-3 6-4 |
| Alex de Minaur (8) | Grigor Dimitrov (15) | 6-0 6-0 |
| Alejandro Davidovich Fokina | Alexei Popyrin | 6-3 6-2 |
| Carlos Alcaraz (2) | Arthur Fils (12) | 4-6 7-5 6-3 |
Davidovich Fokina Foils Popyrin
Alejandro Davidovich Fokina is back in the Monte-Carlo semi-finals, and he has looked like a man on a mission this week.
The Spaniard cruised past Alexei Popyrin 6-3, 6-2 on Friday, booking his spot in the final four for the second time in the Principality.
It's his 18th win of 2025, matching his 2024 tally (18-22) in just a third of the season, and he's played some composed tennis this week, something you don't typically associate with him.
His typical style is to play some super exciting matches, typically over five sets, but never quite go the distance, which is why he's not been able to win a title on the ATP tour, but perhaps this season will be a turning point for him.
Stats-wise, it was very tidy, just 13 unforced errors against Popyrin's 31 and not facing a single break point in 69 minutes. He also bossed the rallies, dropping just 4 of 15 second-serve points.
I've improved as a person, my maturity. When you can control [things] off the court, it's going to be easier to control your emotions [on the court]. Today it has proved [the progress] I am making this year. Davidovich Fokina on his win.
Highlights
Match Stats
| Â | Alejandro Davidovich Fokina | Alexei Popyrin |
|---|---|---|
| Winners | 11 | 17 |
| Unforced Errors | 13 | 31 |
| Aces | 1 | 9 |
| Double Faults | 0 | 4 |
| 1st Serve % | 68% (32/47) | 67% (38/57) |
| 1st Serve Points Won | 81% (26/32) | 63% (24/38) |
| 2nd Serve Points Won | 73% (11/15) | 42% (8/19) |
| Break Points Saved | (0/0) | 67% (6/9) |
| Service Games | 100% (9/9) | 63% (5/8) |
| 1st Return Points Won | 37% (14/38) | 19% (6/32) |
| 2nd Return Points Won | 58% (11/19) | 27% (4/15) |
| Break Points Won | 33% (3/9) | (0/0) |
| Return Games | 38% (3/8) | 0% (0/9) |
| Service Points | 79% (37/47) | 56% (32/57) |
| Return Points | 44% (25/57) | 21% (10/47) |
| Net Points | 100% (4/4) | 57% (4/7) |
| Total Points | 60% (62/104) | 40% (42/104) |
| Match Points Saved | 0 | 1 |
| Max Points In A Row | 8 | 5 |
| Total Games | 71% (12/17) | 29% (5/17) |
| Max Games In A Row | 7 | 1 |
Alcaraz Fends Off Fils
Carlos Alcaraz dug deep to keep his Monte-Carlo dreams alive on Friday, outlasting Arthur Fils 4-6, 7-5, 6-3 in a 2-hour-23-minute thriller on Court Rainier III.
The World No. 3 stared down three break points at 5-5, 0/40 in the second, then flipped the script with a stunning lob on set point to level it.
From 1-3 down in the third, he rattled off five straight games to seal his 10th Masters 1000 semi-final.
Fils has shown that his forehand will be brutal to handle on clay this spring, and he came out swinging, which caused Alcaraz many problems.
However, as I said in my last post, few players are as versatile as Carlos on clay. He found his range, pinning the Frenchman's backhand and playing some clutch stuff when it mattered.
He now faces Alejandro Davidovich Fokina next for a shot at his sixth Masters 1000 crown and maybe a move up to #2 in the ATP Rankings if he lifts the title.
I just wanted to stay strong and wait for my chances. I think his level is high right now and he puts a lot of pressure on his opponents. Today I could feel it but in some moments he just made a few mistakes and I tried to make the most of those points and wait for my chances. The second set I saved those break points and then made the only break point I had that set. In the third set I was just trying to play good tennis. When I was a break down I just tried to keep going and play aggressively and be strong mentally and physically. I have missed clay. It is good to play the drop shot, which I use a lot and feel comfortable using. In matches like this I won almost every drop shot I hit and it gives me more confidence. Alcaraz on his win.
Match Stats
| Â | Arthur Fils | Carlos Alcaraz |
|---|---|---|
| Winners | 23 | 18 |
| Unforced Errors | 53 | 41 |
| Aces | 0 | 3 |
| Double Faults | 5 | 7 |
| 1st Serve % | 60% (62/103) | 61% (62/101) |
| 1st Serve Points Won | 73% (45/62) | 69% (43/62) |
| 2nd Serve Points Won | 32% (13/41) | 49% (19/39) |
| Break Points Saved | 64% (9/14) | 64% (7/11) |
| Service Games | 67% (10/15) | 75% (12/16) |
| 1st Return Points Won | 31% (19/62) | 27% (17/62) |
| 2nd Return Points Won | 51% (20/39) | 68% (28/41) |
| Break Points Won | 36% (4/11) | 36% (5/14) |
| Return Games | 25% (4/16) | 33% (5/15) |
| Service Points | 56% (58/103) | 61% (62/101) |
| Return Points | 39% (39/101) | 44% (45/103) |
| Net Points | 62% (8/13) | 50% (3/6) |
| Total Points | 48% (97/204) | 52% (107/204) |
| Match Points Saved | 0 | 0 |
| Max Points In A Row | 6 | 7 |
| Total Games | 45% (14/31) | 55% (17/31) |
| Max Games In A Row | 3 | 5 |
Highlights
De Minaur Destroys Dimitrov
Alex de Minaur obliterated Grigor Dimitrov 6-0, 6-0 in just 44 minutes to storm into the Monte-Carlo semi-finals.
I knew for certain de Minaur would win as Dimitrov has not looked good in Monte Carlo; in many of his matches, he looked listless, but his opponents weren't ruthless, and he somehow ground out the wins in three sets. But a double bagel? I didn't see that one coming as they're as rare as rocking horse shit on the ATP Tour at the quarter final stage.
However, that listlessness went up a notch in the last eight as Grigor couldn't find the court, racking up errors while De Minaur was relentless, firing just eight unforced errors and he
Match Stats
| Â | Grigor Dimitrov | Alex de Minaur |
|---|---|---|
| Winners | 1 | 7 |
| Unforced Errors | 23 | 8 |
| Aces | 0 | 0 |
| Double Faults | 1 | 0 |
| 1st Serve % | 59% (19/32) | 52% (16/31) |
| 1st Serve Points Won | 32% (6/19) | 75% (12/16) |
| 2nd Serve Points Won | 15% (2/13) | 80% (12/15) |
| Break Points Saved | 25% (2/8) | (0/0) |
| Service Games | 0% (0/6) | 100% (6/6) |
| 1st Return Points Won | 25% (4/16) | 68% (13/19) |
| 2nd Return Points Won | 20% (3/15) | 85% (11/13) |
| Break Points Won | (0/0) | 75% (6/8) |
| Return Games | 0% (0/6) | 100% (6/6) |
| Service Points | 25% (8/32) | 77% (24/31) |
| Return Points | 23% (7/31) | 75% (24/32) |
| Net Points | 0% (0/2) | 100% (1/1) |
| Total Points | 24% (15/63) | 76% (48/63) |
| Match Points Saved | 0 | 0 |
| Max Points In A Row | 2 | 7 |
| Total Games | 0% (0/12) | 100% (12/12) |
| Max Games In A Row | 0 | 12 |
Highlights
Musetti Tops Tsitsipas
In the final quarter-final of the day, Lorenzo Musetti toppled the three-time Monte-Carlo champ Stefanos Tsitsipas 1-6, 6-3, 6-4 to reach his first Masters 1000 semi-final.
The Italian, entered the tie with a 0-5 H2H record, but I had a sneaky suspicion he might cause the upset. When he lost the opener 1-6, that prediction looked dead in the water, but he clawed his way back, saving 14 of 17 break points, including four at 1-2 in the third to help get the job done.
Overall, there was little to separate the two, just a five-point difference in the match, but Tsitsipas's double faults proved costly, with one at 3-3 handing Musetti the decisive break.
I think if Tsitsipas held when serving at 2-3 in the second set (he probably should have saved the break point at 30-40) then he'd have got the job done, but from that point his forehand wasn't quite as potent and four of the seven double faults came in the decider. Ropey.
Today was a really tough match. I knew that before today I never beat him and we played five times. Especially on clay, I knew against a three-time champion, definitely not an easy job today. I found a way and I was increasing during the whole match. Really, really happy and proud of this win. Musetti on his win.
Match Stats
| Â | Lorenzo Musetti | Stefanos Tsitsipas |
|---|---|---|
| Winners | 21 | 25 |
| Unforced Errors | 17 | 15 |
| Aces | 1 | 1 |
| Double Faults | 1 | 7 |
| 1st Serve % | 74% (75/102) | 49% (42/85) |
| 1st Serve Points Won | 63% (47/75) | 67% (28/42) |
| 2nd Serve Points Won | 56% (15/27) | 53% (23/43) |
| Break Points Saved | 82% (14/17) | 50% (3/6) |
| Service Games | 77% (10/13) | 77% (10/13) |
| 1st Return Points Won | 33% (14/42) | 37% (28/75) |
| 2nd Return Points Won | 47% (20/43) | 44% (12/27) |
| Break Points Won | 50% (3/6) | 18% (3/17) |
| Return Games | 23% (3/13) | 23% (3/13) |
| Service Points | 61% (62/102) | 60% (51/85) |
| Return Points | 40% (34/85) | 39% (40/102) |
| Net Points | 82% (9/11) | 68% (19/28) |
| Total Points | 51% (96/187) | 49% (91/187) |
| Match Points Saved | 0 | 0 |
| Max Points In A Row | 10 | 6 |
| Total Games | 50% (13/26) | 50% (13/26) |
| Max Games In A Row | 3 | 3 |
Highlights
Monte Carlo 2025 Day 7 Semi-Final Matches
- Lorenzo Musetti (13) vs Alex de Minaur (8)
- Alejandro Davidovich Fokina vs Carlos Alacaraz (2)
