Even though the qualification rounds starts tomorrow there is no info available yet on the tournament won last year by Nadal - but he is not on the player lists, neither are Zverev and Rublev  and the other absentees absent at Monte Carlo.  After his substandard show at Monte Carlo Alcazar is on the list and likely to play.   However, the player list does not seem to be finalized - so we will have to wait and see what happens.   

The draws will be announced later today and tomorrow and I will update the full draw and Round 2 matches once available.       

There will be 12 qualification marches tomorrow  and 6  final qualification matches on Sunday.  The draw for the final fields will probably take place tomorrow  and the Round 2 matches will be determined accordingly.    .    

The seedings are as follows:-

1         Stefonos Tsitsipas

2         Casper Ruud

3         Felix Auger-Aliassime

4         Cameron Norrie

5         Carlos Alcazraz

6         Diego  Schwartzman

7         Roberto Baurista-Agut

8         Pablo Carrero-Busta

9         Nikoloz Bashilashvilli

10     Alex de Minaur

11     Lorenzo Sonego

12     Daniel  Evans

13     Francis Tiafoe

14     Grigor Dimitrov

15     Federico Delbonis

16     Alexander Bublik

ROUND  2

Top Half of the Draw

1        Stephanos  Tsitsipas         vs       Ilya  Ivashka

14      Grigor Dmitrov                vs        Federico Coria

9       Nikoloz Basjlashvilli        vs        Jaume Munar

5       Carlos Alcaraz                  vs        Soonwoo Kwon

4       Cameron Norrie               vs         Emil Gerasimov 

15      Federico Delbonis           vs        Marcos Fucsovics/

10      Alex de Minaur               vs        Ugo Humbert

Albert Ramos-Vinolas             vs       Lloyd Harris

Bottom Half of the Draw

6      Diego  Schwartzman         vs       Mackenzie McDonald

12     Daniel Evans                    vs        Lorenzo Musetti   

13     Frances  Tiafoe                vs        Hugo Dellien

3      Felix Auger-Aliassime      vs       Carlos Taberner

8      Pablo Carrero-Busta         vs       Bernabe  Zapata-Miralles 

11    Lorenzo Sonego                vs       Elias Ymer

16     Alexander Bublik             vs       Emil Ruusuvuori

2      Casper Ruud                      vs       Brandon Makashima

ROUND 3 

Top Half of the Draw

1        Stephanos  Tsitsipas         vs       Ilya  Ivashka

14      Grigor Dmitrov                vs        Federico Coria

 5       Carlos Alcaraz                  vs       Jaume Munar

4       Cameron Norrie                vs        10      Alex de Minaur                

Bottom Half of the Draw

6      Diego  Schwartzman         vs       Lorenzo Musetti   

3      Felix Auger-Aliassime      vs      13     Frances  Tiafoe

8      Pablo Carrero-Busta         vs       11    Lorenzo Sonego

2      Casper Ruud                      vs       Emil Ruusuvuori

QUARTERFINALS

Top Half of the Draw

1        Stephanos  Tsitsipas         vs       5       Carlos Alcaraz

4       Cameron Norrie               vs        10      Alex de Minaur

Bottom Half of the Draw

3      Felix Auger-Aliassime      vs        6      Diego  Schwartzmani   

2      Casper Ruud                     vs        8      Pablo Carrero-Busta  

Rain has played havoc with the match schedules  and  the quarterfinals scheduled for today may  according to weather forecasts very little tennis will be possible today in Barcelona  - where the temperature is on average 6 degrees colder than normal in the city in April, 

Meanwhile Betway has suspended betting on the match between  Schwartzman and Musetti - which means that  the match will not take place and one fo the players will advance to the Semi based on a walkover.     Should Tsitsipas win the match today he is likely to face Alcaraz in the next match - which is going to be a nightmare for both players.   Neither of the two players thus far shown their real abilities in the matches played thus far.       .   

SEMIFINALS

5       Carlos Alcaraz                   vs    10      Alex de Minaur

6      Diego  Schwartzman          vs      8      Pablo Carrero-Busta   

The fact is that Alcaraz beat Tsitsipas with ease - after winning the first set Alcaraz was up 4-1 in the second set and then start making errors with the result that he lost the second set 7-5.   In the deciding set  he led 3-0 and then won his serve in the 4 game - followed by Tsitsipas winning his serve and then it became 5-1 - with Tsitsipas winning his own serve as well for the score being 5-2.    Alcaraz won the final game on own serve and the third set ended 6-2.    It was not really a surprise - the bookmakers priced  the 18 year old Alcaraz up as favorite.    

Alcaraz now has beaten a string of top ten players and he has no real opposition left to win the tournament.   His next opponent will be  De Minaur - not a top ten player  at all and then he will have  to play and after that he will have to play the winner of the match between Carrero- Busta and Schwartzzman.     He is already priced up at 1,10  - so if you put R100 to win - the return would be R110 - not worth a bet.                  .   .

FINAL

5       Carlos Alcaraz                   vs        8      Pablo Carrero-Busta

Alcaraz looked bad in the semi and struggled to win against De Minaur.    The match last over 3 and 37 minutes and Alcaraz looked as if he a going to lose - but he did not.   So who of the two Spaniards - both coached by Juan-Carlos Ferrero - will win the title.   I am not sure at all - but have a small bet on Alcaraz - he does not like losing eve n to a real friend he has in Carrero-Busta.