British No 2 Dan Evans was beaten in straight sets by defending champion Carlos Alcaraz in the semi-finals of the Barcelona Open.
The top-seeded Alcaraz saw off Evans 6-2 6-2 in one hour and 20 minutes to book a meeting with Stefanos Tsitsipas in Sunday’s final.
The Greek No 2 seed beat Lorenzo Musetti 6-4 5-7 6-3 in the other semi-final.
Alcaraz, last year’s US Open champion, will be seeking his ninth career title and third of the year after triumphing in Buenos Aires and Indian Wells.
The 19-year-old Spaniard is 3-0 against Tsitsipas over his career, including a three-set victory in the Barcelona quarter-finals last year.
Alcaraz, the world No 2, is looking to defend his title in Barcelona
Alcaraz, who has not dropped a set over his four wins in the tournament, said: “Of course, how you reach a final is important for your confidence, and I head into tomorrow with a great feeling.
“Even so, we can’t just rely on how I have played and know that it will be a tough game.”
Tsitsipas said after his hard-fought victory over Musetti: “It was very physical out there.
“We had to cover lots of metres on the court and he had some incredible defensive shots that I really didn’t expect at all. It was such a mental challenge.”
Tsitsipas reached the final at Barcelona in 2018 and 2021, losing both times to 12-time winner Rafael Nadal.
Nadal missed this year’s edition due to a hip injuring that has sidelined him since January.
