Former world numbers Carlos Alcaraz and Daniil Medvedev will battle for a maiden Indian Wells ATP Masters 1000 title after straight sets semifinal victories on Saturday.
Spain’s second-ranked Alcaraz, the top seed who can return to the summit with a third Masters 1000 title on Sunday, beat 13th-ranked Italian Jannik Sinner 7-6 (7/4), 6-3 to reach the 2023 entered his third final of the ,
After a delayed start to the season due to injury, Alcaraz won the title in Buenos Aires and reached the final in Rio de Janeiro last month.
Meanwhile, Medvedev is riding a 19-match ATP winning streak and is looking for his fourth title in as many tournaments after victories in Rotterdam, Doha and Dubai.
The sixth-seeded Russian – who had never made it past the fourth round in Indian Wells – rallied from a late surge from Frances Tiafoe to win 7-5, 7-6 (7/4) over the 16th-ranked American. Saved.
In control for most of the match, Medvedev needed eight match points to finally put it away with an ace on his final opportunity.
Medvedev said, “I’m really happy that I didn’t manage to lose this match and have no regrets, nightmares.”
Alcaraz, who defeated Sinner in an epic five-setter on his way to the US Open title last year, had gained the upper hand over the Italian with an early break of the first set, but he returned it with a sloppy game that included Four were involved. Unforced errors and allowed Sinner to level the set at 4-4.
With Alcaraz suddenly struggling, Sinner held for 5-4 and put the pressure on with a set point at 6-5, which Alcaraz saved with a textbook volley winner with a drop shot.
A strong Alcaraz sealed the set with a backhand cross court winner via the tiebreaker, and broke Sinner in the second game of the second set – sealing the break with a dazzling lob.
Up 4-2, Alcaraz broke out of the 0-30 jam with three straight unbreakable serves, and finished it off with a confident game that he opened with an ace and finished with a tremendous forehand winner. Did.
“Playing Janic is never easy,” Alcaraz said. “I knew I had to raise my level. This first set was really close.
“On the second I calmed my nerves, played more relaxed and (that) was the key to everything.”
Alcaraz was eager to take on the red-hot Medvedev.
“I’m an ambitious guy,” he said. “I want to play against the best players in the world and I would say Daniel is the best at the moment.
“Amazing winning streak – it will be a tough challenge but I’m up for it.”
– crazy ending –
A dialed-in Medvedev had looked in control for most of the match, showing no signs of trouble with a right ankle as he turned into a fourth-round victory over Alexander Zverev.
Tiafoe reached his first Masters 1000 semifinal without dropping a set, but was stopped by Medvedev in the opening set, winning 24 of 27 service points.
Unable to convert three break points in the fifth game, Medvedev suddenly broke in the 11th game, hitting another backhand into the net from Tiafoe, which Medvedev converted with a net-skimming forehand.
Medvedev quickly took the lead in the second game, breaking Tiafoe in the opening game with a forehand winner that drifted back inside the sideline.
Up 5–3, Medvedev had three chances to claim the match on Tiafoe’s serve in the ninth game, and after failing to convert, he broke for the first time in a sloppy service game that featured three unforced errors – including A double fault was also involved. break point.
Undeterred, she broke Tiafoe to love in the next game, but once again the American refused to yield, surviving four more match points on her way to a service break to force a tiebreaker.
“It was crazy in the end,” Medvedev said. “I got very tight. I would say (after 6-5, 40-0), I think I got tight at deuce when I was like, ‘Oh my god, that’s a lot of missed opportunities.’ Can’t be right for me.'”
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