Only Dan Evans stands in Carlos Alcaraz’s way of the Barcelona final as the top seed sits two wins away from defending his 2022 title. The semifinal schedule includes a showdown between Stefanos Tsitsipas and Lorenzo Musetti.
(9) Lorenzo Musetti vs. (2) Stefanos Tsitsipas
It will be a rematch of a wild 2022 French Open affair when Tsitsipas and Musetti meet again in the semifinals of the Barcelona Open Banc Sabadell on Saturday. Last year at Roland Garros the Greek got the job done in five sets, but not before losing the first two. That improved Tsitsipas’ record in the head-to-head series to 3-0, as he also prevailed twice in 2021 (on hard courts in Acapulco and on clay in Lyon).
Both players are outstanding on the red stuff, so this should be another fun one. Tsitsipas, a former Monte-Carlo champion and French Open runner-up, appears to have recovered from a recent shoulder injury with Barcelona victories over Pedro Cachin, Denis Shapovalov, and Alex de Minaur. Musetti, who upset Novak Djokovic en route to last week’s Monte-Carlo quarterfinals, beat Jason Kubler and Cameron Norrie before getting a walkover from Jannik Sinner (illness). The Italian can make this competitive, but–as usual–Tsitsipas will likely be too good in the end.
Pick: Tsitsipas in 3
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(1) Carlos Alcaraz vs. (12) Dan Evans
Evans is not a semifinalist that anyone would have expected at a relatively strong clay-court tournament, nor does his game style make him a serous threat to the best players in the world. However, his style is also such that he rarely gets blown off the court because he can be such a tricky nuisance. Evans’ spins and slices are working to perfection in Barcelona–like the normally do on hard courts and grass. The 26th-ranked Brit has made his way through the draw by knocking off Matteo Arnaldi, Karen Khachanov, and Francisco Cerundolo.
Alcaraz has not been at his best this week, but he has still managed to dismiss Nuno Borges, Roberto Bautista Agut, and Alejandro Davidovich Fokina without too much trouble. Although this contest could be a lot closer than may expect, Alcaraz should be able to advance in front of the home crowd without dropping a set.
Pick: Alcaraz in 2
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