Alcaraz Advances to Barcelona Semifinals as Ruud Exits

Top-seeded Carlos Alcaraz advanced to the Barcelona Open semifinals with a straight-sets win over Alex de Minaur, marking his eighth consecutive victory as he pursues a third title at the event. Alcaraz overcame two early breaks in a tightly contested first set before taking control in the second. He will face Arthur Fils, who reached his first semifinal of the year after Stefanos Tsitsipas retired due to an unspecified injury. Defending champion Casper Ruud was knocked out by Holger Rune, who capitalized on Ruud's 29 unforced errors to secure a 6-4, 6-2 win. Rune will meet Karen Khachanov in the semifinals after Khachanov's comeback victory against Alejandro Davidovich Fokina. Both Fils and Rune are poised to break into or return to the ATP top 10 if they progress further in the tournament.