Preview and Schedule Monte Carlo Masters Day Six: Alcaraz faces Fils in blockbuster clash, Tsitsipas takes on Musetti

The schedule for Day Six at the Monte-Carlo Masters has been revealed. The quarterfinals will take place this Friday, April 10, 2025, with defending champion Stefanos Tsitsipas facing Lorenzo Musetti, and Carlos Alcaraz squaring off against Arthur Fils as the marquee matches of the day.

Elsewhere, Alex de Minaur and Grigor Dimitrov will clash after impressive runs, both having defeated high-calibre opponents along the way and making strong cases for a spot in the semifinals. The surprise match-up will feature Alejandro Davidovich Fokina and Alexei Popyrin, who eliminated seeded players Jack Draper (5th) and Casper Ruud (4th) respectively.

This is the most surprising quarterfinal of the tournament, with two unseeded players earning their spots. Alejandro Davidovich Fokina pulled off a shock win over Jack Draper (No. 6), knocking out one of the favourites. The Spaniard, who has spent several seasons in the top 30 and reached a career-high ranking of World No. 21 in 2023, is still chasing his first ATP title. Monte-Carlo has been his standout event on the calendar—he reached his first Masters 1000 final here in 2022 and has notched 11 career wins at this venue.

On the other side of the net will be Alexei Popyrin (No. 27), the 2024 Canadian Open champion. Though clay isn't his strongest surface, he eliminated 2024 runner-up Casper Ruud, one of the most consistent clay-court players in recent years. This is a golden opportunity for both players to reach the semifinals in what promises to be the most unpredictable clash of the day.

Undoubtedly the most anticipated match of the day features World No. 3 Carlos Alcaraz, who returns to action as the clear favourite. With early exits from Zverev (1st) and Djokovic (3rd), and Thursday’s eliminations of Jack Draper (5th) and Casper Ruud (4th), Alcaraz stands as the last remaining top-7 player in the draw.

He recovered from a shaky start in his opening match against Francisco Cerúndolo (3-6, 6-0, 6-1), then cruised past qualifier Daniel Altmaier (6-3, 6-1) to reach the Monte-Carlo quarterfinals for the first time.

However, he’ll face a red-hot opponent in 20-year-old Arthur Fils, who has now reached the quarterfinals in all three Masters 1000 events of 2025: Indian Wells, Miami, and now Monte-Carlo. The Frenchman has already won two titles on clay, including the ATP 500 Hamburg Open last year, where he beat Alexander Zverev in the final. Known for his explosive style and aggressive serve-based game, Fils has adapted surprisingly well to clay courts. He already knocked out the 2023 Monte-Carlo champion Andrey Rublev (No. 9), and brings more than enough firepower to trouble Alcaraz.

While they may not draw the same attention as the tournament’s biggest names, both Grigor Dimitrov (No. 17) and Alex de Minaur (No. 10) have impressed on their way to the last eight.

De Minaur survived a tough three-setter against Tomas Machac (3-6, 9-6, 6-3), before delivering a dominant performance against Daniil Medvedev (6-2, 6-2). The Australian has evolved into a complete all-court player over the past two years, climbing into the Top 10 thanks to his consistency and relentless athleticism.

He’ll face a seasoned Monte-Carlo contender in Grigor Dimitrov, a two-time semifinalist here (2018, 2022). The Bulgarian took down Nicolas Jarry and Valentin Vacherot, before outlasting the tricky Alejandro Tabilo, who had stunned Novak Djokovic in the previous round. Dimitrov has remained among the elite thanks to his dependable results, and both players will see this clash as a rare opportunity to push deeper into a Masters 1000—and perhaps even dream of the title.

Lorenzo Musetti (No. 16) didn’t have the easiest path to the quarterfinals, battling through three-set wins over Bu Yunchaokete and Jiri Lehecka in the opening rounds. However, his performance against compatriot Matteo Berrettini in the Round of 16 was nothing short of dominant. Musetti secured a 6-3, 6-3 victory without facing a single break point—an impressive feat on the slow Monte-Carlo clay against a dangerous opponent like Berrettini.

Now he faces a much bigger test: three-time Monte-Carlo champion Stefanos Tsitsipas (No. 8), in a rare showdown between two of the few remaining one-handed backhand stylists on tour. The Greek star crushed Nuno Borges 6-1, 6-1 in his previous round and enters the quarterfinals full of confidence as he aims to defend his crown. With 22 wins at Monte-Carlo and a fifth consecutive appearance in the quarterfinals, Tsitsipas is no stranger to success here—three of those runs ended with the title.

He also leads the head-to-head 5-0, putting him clearly in the favourite’s seat. Still, if Musetti can replicate the level he displayed against Berrettini, he might just have the tools to trouble the defending champion.