In their first-ever meeting on Tour, Carlos Alcaraz and Valentin Vacherot will fight for a place in the Monte Carlo final.
In a matchup between the World No. 1 and the local favorite, it is a dream scenario for the tournament organizers, as a packed crowd is expected for this contest.
Road to the Semifinals
Entering the tournament after an early exit in Miami, Alcaraz got up to speed on a new surface instantly, winning his first match while dropping only four games. While his Round of 16 match got a lot closer than many had expected, Alcaraz then responded with a clinical display in the quarterfinals to reach the semifinals.
Vacherot, on the other hand, has had to navigate a physically taxing road to the semis. In front of an inspired home crowd, the Monegasque has won three three-set battles along the way, but the highlight of his week still remains the straight-sets victory against Lorenzo Musetti.
Match Preview
This will be the first time these two players stand across each other from the net, and although Alcaraz will be the favorite, it is expected to be one of the rare occasions where the crowd is more in favor of his opponent. On paper, this is a matchup that comes down to how well Alcaraz can handle the Vacherot serve, as outside of his serve, Vacherot does not have the raw power or baseline consistency to consistently challenge the Spaniard.
Alcaraz enters this matchup with both the heavier and more potent groundstrokes, which on clay only get magnified due to the higher bounce his topspin produces. That, coupled with Alcaraz’s kick and slider serves, means that the Spaniard has options to attack from both the baseline and the serving department.
Vacherot, who will look to carry an inspired crowd’s energy once again, will have to have an effective serving day against what is one of the best returners in tennis currently. Along with that, his way from the baseline will be to frustrate the Spaniard, and more importantly, attack his forehand whenever the opportunity presents itself.
Despite all this, it feels like a mountain to climb for Vacherot here against what is the best player on this surface. But then again, just last year, Vacherot showed in Shanghai that he is not scared of such mountains when he defeated Novak Djokovic in straight sets.
Main Photo Credit: Susan Mullane-Imagn Images
