Carlos Alcaraz defeated Jannik Sinner 7:6, 6:3 in the semifinals of the 1000 Series tournament in Indian Wells. The Spaniard will meet Daniil Medvedev in the final. A victory over the Russian would also bring him back to the top of the ATP rankings.
Even the fifth match between the two biggest aces of the new generation did not disappoint. The main court at Indian Wells was sold out and the atmosphere was great.
Sinner missed a chance to win the first setAlcaraz took a 4-2 lead in the first set, and then Sinner scored 11 points in a row and took the lead with three consecutive games. In the 12th game, he also had a chance to win the opening set, but Alcaraz saved it with a short ball and a volley. The Spaniard won the extended game 7-4 after hitting a superb backhand.
In the second set, Sinner lost his serve in the third game. Alcaraz continued to serve perfectly and won all five games on his opening shot to 30. So the Italian did not miss any break opportunities. The settlement lasted one hour and 52 minutes.
The 19-year-old Alcaraz won the Miami Masters last year and on Sunday can become the youngest player in history to win both of the Solar Twins.
Tiafoe saved seven closing balls in a football atmosphereThe first semi-final was also very interesting. Frances Tiafoe is a crowd favorite in Indian Wells, the atmosphere was soccer-like. More than 15,000 spectators loudly cheered on the American, who especially impressed in the second set and was close to a surprise. Medvedev eliminated him 7:5 and 7:6.
It was the 19th consecutive victory of the great Russian on the ATP tour. He has already won tournaments in Rotterdam, Doha and Dubai, and now he reached the final of Indian Wells for the first time.
Medvedev kept calm in moments of crisisIn the fifth game, Tiafoe still managed to come back after 0/40 on his serve, and then he served the opener in the eleventh game and Medvedev ended the opening set without serving a point in the 12th game.
In the second set, Tiafoe lost his serve in the first game. In the ninth game, he saved three closing balls from the Russian. Medvedev then conceded in the tenth game and the result was tied at 5:5. In the eleventh game, the Russian reached the break without losing a point and then had 40/0 on his serve. He wasted four more closing balls and Tiafoe miraculously made it into overtime. The fans went crazy in the stands, but Medvedev did not let himself be fooled and won the extended game with 7:4.
After spraining his ankle against Zverev, he started to play better“The second set was really amazing. When I wasted 40/0 on my serve, I thought I might really lose this match. I was very relieved when I hit an ace to end the match in overtime. The pitch does not suit me as it is slow. When I sprained my ankle against Zverev in the round of 16, I started playing better. In the final, I will have to give my best performance this week if I want to win the title,” emphasized the 27-year-old Russian.
Djokovic will not be in Miami eitherNovak Djokovic will not compete at the Masters in Miami. Foreigners still do not have the right to enter the United States if they are not vaccinated against covid-19, but tournament director James Blake adds that they tried to make an exception for the Serbian star.
“Obviously we’re one of the best tournaments in the world, so we’d like to have the best players that can play. We did everything we could. We have tried to talk to the government, but it is not within our jurisdiction,” Blake said.
The 35-year-old Djokovic already had to miss last year’s US Open and also the Masters in Indian Wells. In Miami, Djokovic lifted the prestigious trophy five times between 2011 and 2016.
INDIAN WELLS (US$10,143,750, hard base)
Semi-Finals: ALCARAZ (ŠPA/1) – SINNER (ITA/11) 7:6 (4), 6:3 MEDVEDJEV (RUS/5) – TIAFOE (USA/14) 7:5, 7:6 (4)
The final will be on Monday at 0:10.
Source: Rtvslo
