Alcaraz, Musetti to contest Monte-Carlo Masters final

Carlos Alcaraz and Lorenzo Musetti will contest the Monte-Carlo Masters final in Monaco after each won their semi-final clashes at the ATP Masters 1000 tournament on Saturday.

Second seed Alcaraz came through an all-Spanish matchup against friend Alejandro Davidovich Fokina, downing the world No.42 in two tight sets.

Alcaraz, who arrived at the season first clay Masters as a heavy favourite across tennis bookmakers, began the match strongly by breaking Davidovich Fokina in the second game.

After building a 3-0 lead, the 21-year-old was unable to hold on to his advantage, however, dropping his own serve for 3-2.

Another break came in the sixth game, but just when it seemed Alcaraz had the upper hand again, Davidovich Fokina broke back to send the opener to a tiebreak.

The world No.3 was finally able to drive his advantage home, winning the breaker at a canter and moving within a set of the final.

He again started the second set well with an early break, but this time was able to hold on to his lead, winning 7-6(2), 6-4 in just over two hours.

“It’s been a long time,” Alcaraz said after making his first Masters final in 13 months.

“I just had to be patient and believe that this moment was going to come again.

“Sometimes the people are not patient, they want me to make the final in every tournament.

“I’m really happy to give them the chance to watch one of my finals again.”

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In the day’s other semi-final, Italian Musetti edged out Australia’s Alex de Minaur in a much tighter contest, winning in a third-set tiebreak to make his maiden Masters final.

De Minaur started the better of the two, racing through the opening set 6-1.

However, Musetti found his flow and clawed his way back into the contest, claiming the second stanza 6-4 and refusing to budge in the decider despite coming within two points of losing the match.

“I always struggle to start and find a rhythm but today Alex was playing really solid and the conditions were hard,” Musetti explained after his 1-6, 6-4, 7-6(4) victory.

“It was slow today with the rain and it was not easy to break through the Alex wall.

“I started to be more patient and that was the key.

“The confidence is something that you have to experience to believe.”

Tennis betting sites have Alcaraz priced short heading into Sunday’s final, with Neds returning just $1.22 for the Spaniard to win his sixth Masters crown.

Musetti is much longer, sitting at $4.33 to win and paying $2.10 to even win a set.

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