BARCELONA, Spain (AP) — Top-seeded Carlos Alcaraz earned his season-best eighth straight win after beating Alex de Minaur 7-5, 6-3 in the Barcelona Open quarterfinals on Friday.
Coming off his first Monte Carlo Masters title, Alcaraz's next obstacle to a third Barcelona title was Arthur Fils.
Fils reached his first semifinal of the year when four-time Barcelona finalist Stefanos Tsitsipas retired after losing the first two games.
The injury was unspecified but Fils suspected it was Tsisipas' back.
Fils is at a career-high 13th ranking and could crack the top-10 for the first time if he wins the tournament.