Carlos Alcaraz continued his dominant run at the Rotterdam Open, storming into the semi-finals with a commanding 6-2, 6-1 victory over compatriot Pedro Martinez on Friday. The world number three displayed an exceptional level of tennis, securing his spot in the final four in just over an hour.
The 20-year-old Spaniard, seeking to become the first player from his country to claim the title in Rotterdam, will next face Poland’s Hubert Hurkacz for a place in Sunday’s final. Hurkacz, the tournament’s eighth seed, overcame a tough battle against fourth-seeded Andrey Rublev, rallying to a 6-7 (5/7), 6-3, 6-4 win.
“I’m really happy with my performance today. I think I played at a really high level,” said Alcaraz after his victory. “No ups and downs in the match, which is something I’m really focused on. It is always tough playing Pedro, so I knew I had to be really focused from the first ball to the last.”
From the outset, Alcaraz demonstrated his superiority over Martinez, breaking his opponent’s serve in the opening game. A second break soon followed, and Alcaraz wrapped up the first set with an ace. The second set mirrored the first, with Martinez struggling to handle the pressure. A double fault and a series of unforced errors from Martinez helped Alcaraz secure another break early in the set. The match concluded with a stunning crosscourt forehand from Alcaraz, marking his 29th winner of the match.
“With every match I play, I’m improving. Hopefully, I can end up the week with the trophy,” Alcaraz added, setting his sights on Rotterdam glory.
In another quarter-final clash, Greek star Stefanos Tsitsipas suffered a shocking defeat at the hands of Italian qualifier Mattia Bellucci. The world number 12 was unable to counter Bellucci’s left-handed serve and dynamic game, as the Italian secured a 6-4, 6-2 victory.
Bellucci, ranked 92nd in the world, has been the tournament’s surprise package, having already eliminated second seed Daniil Medvedev in the previous round. The 23-year-old expressed his delight at reaching his first ATP 500 semi-final. “At the beginning of the week, I would have never expected this result. I was really enjoying myself on court. Today I think I played even better, technically speaking, against a great opponent, but I was in a mindset to fight for every point.”
The Italian will now face Australia’s Alex de Minaur, last year’s Rotterdam runner-up, who dispatched German lucky loser Daniel Altmaier 6-1, 6-4. With the semi-finals set, an exciting weekend of tennis awaits.
