Preview and Schedule Monte Carlo Masters Day Seven: Alcaraz leads semifinal action, De Minaur and Musetti chase breakthrough

The schedule for Day Seven at the Monte-Carlo Masters has been revealed. The semifinals will take place this Saturday, 11 April 2025, featuring an all-Spanish clash between Carlos Alcaraz and Alejandro Davidovich Fokina, while Lorenzo Musetti will aim for another top-10 victory as he faces Alex de Minaur.

The quarter-finals were highlighted by the elimination of defending champion Stefanos Tsitsipas (6th seed) at the hands of Musetti, and a stunning double bagel delivered by De Minaur against 15th seed Grigor Dimitrov. While Alcaraz heads into the semifinals as the favourite, surprises have been a constant throughout the tournament.

Alex de Minaur has quietly carved an impressive path to the Monte-Carlo Masters semifinals, surpassing his previous 2024 mark by reaching the quarter-finals and now going one step further. This is only the second time in his career that the Australian has reached a Masters 1000 semifinal, and he appears slightly favoured on paper against Lorenzo Musetti — especially after a dominant win over Grigor Dimitrov.

The world No. 10 had already defeated big names like Tomas Machac and Daniil Medvedev. While his quarter-final clash with Dimitrov looked balanced beforehand, De Minaur delivered a stunning performance, capitalising on a nightmare day for the Bulgarian to secure a 6-0, 6-0 win in just 44 minutes. He won 77% of his service points and 74% of return points, with Dimitrov managing to win only 8 points on serve.

Facing him is an impressive Musetti, full of confidence after back-to-back victories over Matteo Berrettini and Stefanos Tsitsipas. Once again solid on serve, Musetti landed 74% of first serves and won 63% of those points. He also posed serious problems for Tsitsipas on return, creating 17 break points — though converting only three.

It will be crucial for Musetti to take better advantage of his chances against De Minaur, who has looked sharp and composed throughout the tournament, despite clay not being his preferred surface. The Italian, who won a bronze medal at the last Olympic Games on the clay courts of Roland Garros, will be hoping his strong run — his first to a Masters 1000 semifinal — carries him into his maiden final at this level.

Carlos Alcaraz has shown resilience throughout the tournament, earning his first career victories at the Monte-Carlo Masters — the only Masters 1000 event where he had yet to win a match. He opened his campaign with a 3-6, 6-0, 6-1 comeback against Francisco Cerúndolo, then cruised past qualifier Daniel Altmaier 6-3, 6-1.

Against Arthur Fils (12th seed), Alcaraz faced a true challenge, but the four-time Grand Slam champion delivered when it mattered most. After dropping the first set, he found himself down 0-40 at 5-5 in the second — but saved all three break points and won 8 of the final 9 points to level the match 7-5. Alcaraz eventually sealed the win 5-7, 7-5, 6-3, advancing to a Masters 1000 semifinal for the 10th time in his career.

He’ll face a surprise semifinalist in Alejandro Davidovich Fokina, who has earned a string of impressive victories throughout the tournament. The Spaniard defeated Ben Shelton (11th), Tomás Martín Etcheverry, Jack Draper (5th), and 2024 Canadian Open champion Alexei Popyrin. Both players are comfortable on clay courts, and fans can expect long rallies from the baseline between two players known for their endurance and heavy shot-making.

They’ve met before at the 2023 Barcelona Open, where Alcaraz claimed a 7-6, 6-4 win en route to the title. While Alcaraz enters as the favourite on paper, Davidovich Fokina’s powerful groundstrokes and sharp angles could pose serious problems. This matchup might be closer than expected, with both players fighting for a spot in the final.