Spain’s Carlos Alcaraz returns the ball to Spain’s Roberto Bautista during their ATP Barcelona Open “Conde de Godo” tennis tournament singles match at the Real Club de Tenis in Barcelona on April 20, 2023. (Photo by Josep LAGO / AFP)
Carlos Alcaraz rallied from an early break to defeat countryman Roberto Bautista Agut 6-3, 7-5 and advance to the quarterfinals of the Barcelona Open Banc Sabadell on Thursday in Barcelona, Spain.
Alcaraz improved to 9-1 against fellow Spaniards, with his only blemish coming in a loss to Rafael Nadal. Alcaraz will face another Spaniard, Alejandro Davidovich Fokina, in Friday’s quarterfinal round. Fokina defeated Emil Ruusuvuori in straight sets to advance.
Second-seeded Stefanos Tsitsipas defeated Denis Shapovalov in straight sets but No. 3 Casper Ruud dropped a straight-sets decision to No. 15 Francisco Cerundolo on the clay.
Fourth-seeded Jannik Sinner advanced as did No. 8 Alex de Minaur (walkover), No. 9 Lorenzo Musetti and 12th-seeded Daniel Evans.
Sprska Open
FILE– Russia’s Andrey Rublev. REUTERS/Eric Gaillard
Second-seeded Andrey Rublev of Russia made quick work of Juan Pablo Varillas, needing just 70 minutes to dispatch the Peruvian 6-2, 6-2 in Banja Luka, Bosnia-Herzegovina.
Rublev will play local favorite and wild card Damir Dzumhur in the quarterfinals. Dzumhur, from Sarajevo, upset No. 7 Richard Gasquet 6-4, 1-6, 7-6 (3) to advance. Gasquet was one of two Frenchmen to be upset; No. 8 Gregoire Barrere fell to Serbia’s Dusan Lajovic 6-3, 6-0.
Lajovic draws countryman and No. 1 seed Novak Djokovic in the quarters.
Fourth-seeded Miomir Kecmanovic and No. 6 Jiri Lehecka also advanced with straight-set victories.
BMW Open
Germany’s Alexander Zverev returns the ball to Australia’s Christopher O’Connell during the second round match at the ATP Tennis Open in Munich, southern Germany, on April 20, 2023. (Photo by Christof STACHE / AFP)
Third-seeded Alexander Zverev of Germany was upset by Australian Christopher O’Connell, the world No. 82, 7-6 (2), 6-4 in Munich, Germany.
O’Connell draws the 208th-ranked player in the world, Flavio Cobolli of Italy, in the quarterfinals. Cobolli bested German Oscar Otte 6-0, 3-6, 6-3.
Top-seeded Holger Rune of Denmark defeated Germany’s Yannick Hanfmann 6-3, 6-4 to advance. Germans went 0-4 on the day.
Thursday’s other winners included No. 2 Taylor Fritz, No. 4 Botic van de Zandschulp, Cristian Garin, Marcos Giron and Aslan Karatsev.