By Richard Pagliaro | Saturday, April 22, 2023
Defending champion Carlos Alcaraz beat Dan Evans 6-2, 6-2 scoring his ninth straight Barcelona win to set up a marquee final vs. Stefanos Tsitsipas.
Photo credit: Barcelona Open BancSabadell – Trofeo Conde de Godo Facebook
Barcelona began with Stefanos Tsitsipas dropping major declaration: Carlos Alcaraz's reign as tennis king is coming.
Tomorrow, Tsitsipas will try to crash coronation and claim Alcaraz's Barcelona crown.
More: Injured Nadal Out of Madrid
Defending champion Alcaraz dismantled Dan Evans 6-2, 6-2 scoring his ninth straight Barcelona win to cruise into the tournament final for the second straight year.
The top-seeded Alcaraz improved to 22-2 on the season. He will play for a third title of 2023 when he faces Tsitsipas in the title match.
Overwhelming the skilled Evans at times with blurring blasts down the line, Alcaraz establish separation quickly. Alcaraz turned on the transition game and knocked off an easy forehand breaking at 15 to snatch a one-set lead after 37 minutes.
Reading the Briton's wide serve on the ad side, Alcaraz poked a full stretch backhand return winner down the line breaking for a 4-0 second-set lead. One final return pass closed the victory.
Bidding to become the first man to defend Barcelona since his hero, Rafa Nadal, pulled off the three-peat from 2016-2018, Alcaraz converted five of seven break points in an 80-minute win to set up a rematch against the second-seeded Tsitsipas.
In today's first semifinal, Tsitsipas rallied from a break down in the opening set twice defeating Lorenzo Musetti 6-4, 5-7, 6-3 to advance to his third Barcelona final.
It is Tsitsipas' fourth win over Musetti in as many meetings. Tsitsipas raised his record to 20-5 in 2023.
Beaten by Nadal in the 2018 and 2021 finals, Tsitsipas aims to flip the script against Alcaraz, who has never lost to the 2023 Australian Open finalist.
Alcaraz has won all three prior meetings vs. Tsitsipas, including a 6-4, 5-7, 6-2 victory in the 2022 Barcelona quarterfinals.
At least one Spaniard has reached the Barcelona final in 24 of the last 26 editions of the event. Alcaraz aims to become the 17th Spaniard in the last 20 finals to take the title.
Before his opening round, Tsitsipas said has seen the future of tennis—Alcaraz—and he looks a little like a champion with a glorious past.
Two-time Monte-Carlo champion Tsitsipas said Alcaraz's brilliant shotmaking, blinding court coverage and burning competitive desire means he "could be the next Rafael Nadal of our tennis."
While Nadal is absent continuing his recovery from a hip injury, Alcaraz brings the same powerful presence to court as his tennis hero, said the Greek.
"When he's around, you can feel his presence and his energy and how hard he works for every point," Tsitsipas said of Nadal. "And his spirit, the spirit that he puts out on the court is an example.
"We have someone that looks a little bit like him, which is Carlos Alcaraz, in terms of how he gets to every ball on the court and how he covers pretty much half of the planet when he plays.
“So they have a lot of similarities, and I think he [Alcaraz] could be the next Rafael Nadal of our tennis.”