Carlos Alcaraz did not have to wait long in the quarterfinals of the Monte-Carlo Masters on Friday. The world No. 1 dispatched Alexander Bublik 6-3, 6-0 to defeat him in their first ATP Tour encounter, with the scoreline leaving little room for debate. But for Bublik, there was one thing other than the Spaniard’s prowess that left him uncomfortable on the court. 

Alcaraz did not have to do much to claim the victory, as Kazakh just could not find his rhythm in the whole match. He committed 28 unforced errors throughout the match, wrapping the game in an hour. Bublik, for his part, had a rather different take on proceedings.

“We played in the worst conditions for me,” Bublik said at the net during the handshake. 

It was an honest confession from the world No. 11, and one which makes perfect sense when you think of the surface beneath their feet. Clay is not the best surface for the 28-year-old. His game is made for grass, the booming flat serve, the attacks of the net, and the shot-making, which is made uncertain by the pace and speed. The red clay of Monaco is slow and high-bouncing, robbing most weapons, and there is no room for error when dealing with a player of the quality of Alcaraz on the baseline.

Despite clay not being his strongest surface, Bublik had picked up good wins en route to the quarterfinals. He had defeated the 11th seed Jiri Lehecka and the veteran Gael Monfils in the previous rounds. These wins might have given some conviction to people that this would be a cracking contest, but Alcaraz did not let that happen. 

The defending champion barely gave any opportunity to the Kazakh. In the second set, Bublik only managed to win 12 points in the whole set, which obviously led to a bagel. What made the exchange more memorable was that the ever-similing Alcaraz replied to his opponent’s complaint candidly. 

“I’m looking forward to facing you on grass!” Alcarad replied with a grin on his face. 

It was a sarcastic yet sharp comment. Grass is the place of Bublik, the Halle title in 2023 and 2025. Especially the last year’s title included some of the top players, which Bublik had to defeat to clinch the title, namely Jannik Sinner, Tomas Machac, Karen Khachanov, and Daniil Medvedev in the final. It was understood: Alcaraz is perfectly aware of what Bublik can do when conditions are favorable to him, and the Spaniard is excited for that challenge. 

For now, however, Alcaraz goes into the Monte-Carlo semifinals in dominant fashion with 1000 points to defend. He will be facing either Valentin Vacherot or the sixth seed, Alex de Minaur, in the last four.

Carlos Alcaraz will face Valentin Vacherot in the semis

The world No. 23 has reached the semifinals of the home masters tournament, the first Monaco player to do so in the open era. Valentin Vacherot announced himself on the world stage last year by winning the Shanghai Masters title in October. He was the world No. 204 when he won the title, making him the lowest-ranked player to win a Masters title in the history of the sport. Currently, he is enjoying a dreamy run in his hometown, but things are going to get difficult on Saturday evening. 

He defeated the Australian No. 1 Alex de Minaur in a three-set battle in the quarterfinals to set up the clash with the defending champion. It was another gritty performance from Monegasque, who has won three three-setters this week, along with a straight-set win against fourth seed Lorenzo Musetti. 

Alcaraz has looked in good form in the first clay tournament of the season. Having dropped just three games against Bublik and with a goal to defend 1000 points in the tournament, his motivation and quality are going to be at the top.  

The 27-year-old has four career top 10 wins, out of which two have come in this tournament itself. Despite Alcaraz’s flawless career record on the surface, Vacherot can pose serious problems for the Spaniard, especially with the Monte Carlo Country Club serving as 12th man for him throughout.