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Russia’s Khachanov downs Spaniard Fokina at 2025 ATP Barcelona Open

The Russian player also took home the silver medal in men’s singles at the 2020 Summer Olympic Games in Tokyo

MADRID, April 18. /TASS/. Russia’s Karen Khachanov advanced to the semifinals of the 2025 ATP Barcelona Open tennis tournament after defeating Spain’s Alejandro Davidovich Fokina on Friday.

In a one-hour-and-forty-five minute quarterfinals match, the unseeded Russian, who is playing under a neutral status at the tournament, took down his unseeded Spanish opponent in straight sets 6-4; 7-5.

Khachanov will now play in the semifinals against 6th-seeded Dane Holger Rune, who sunk the tournament’s defending champion and 2nd-seed Casper Ruud from Norway 6-4; 6-2 later on Friday.

According to the ATP website’s statistics, Khachanov and Rune have never faced each. Their duel later this week will be their first.

Khachanov, 28, who is currently 27th in the ATP (the Association of Tennis Professionals) Rankings, has seven career ATP titles. His best performance in the Grand Slam series was when he reached the semifinal rounds at the 2022 US Open and the 2023 Australian Open.

The Russian player also took home the silver medal in men’s singles at the 2020 Summer Olympic Games in Tokyo. He also won the 2021 Davis Cup as part of the Russian national team.

The 2025 ATP Barcelona Open Banc Sabadell tournament is played between April 14 and 20 on outdoor clay courts in Barcelona, Spain and offers $3.2 million in prize money.

Russian players’ neutral status at tennis tournaments

On February 28, 2022, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) issued recommendations to international sports federations to bar athletes from Russia and Belarus from taking part in international tournaments, citing Moscow’s special military operation in Ukraine as the reason.

Following the IOC’s recommendations in late February 2022, the majority of global sports federations decided to bar athletes from Russia and Belarus from all international sports tournaments.

The International Tennis Federation (ITF) ruled on March 1, 2022 to suspend the membership of the Russian and Belarusian national tennis federations while also canceling all previously scheduled tennis tournaments in the two countries.

On March 14, 2022, the ITF also confirmed its prohibition of the Russian and Belarusian national tennis teams from the 2022 Davis Cup and 2022 Billie Jean King Cup.

However, the Women’s Tennis Association (WTA) and the Association of Tennis Professionals (ATP) allowed tennis players from Russia and Belarus to continue participating in WTA and ATP tournaments, but only under a neutral status.

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