Sinner made things very difficult for the Spaniard in the first set and he succumbed in the second set
Alcaraz won 7-6(4) and 6-3, in 1 hour and 52 minutes
Carlos Alcaraz will play the Indian Wells final this Sunday before the russian Daniel Medvedev after defeating the Italian Jannik Sinner this Saturday, who made things very difficult for him in the first set and who succumbed in the second set to the imposing power of the Spanish.
Alcaraz, 19, defeated in the semifinal Sinner, 21, by 7-6 (4) and 6-3 in one hour and 52 minutes to qualify for the final of the first Masters 1000 of the season.
After losing in 2022 in the Indian Wells semifinals against Rafael NadalAlcaraz will not only have the option of being crowned in the Californian desert but, with a victory, he will also recover the number one in the world, now held by the Serb Novak Djokovic.
A formidable challenge now appears on his way: a Medvedev in a state of grace who defeated the American Frances Tiafoe in the semifinals (7-5 and 6-4) and that he has won 19 games in a row and won three consecutive tournaments (Rotterdam, Doha and Dubai).
But the Murcian, who has only played against Medvedev on one occasion (a loss at Wimbledon two years ago), he is already used to the big lights and dazzling in the most demanding moments.
Alcaraz arrived in California with doubts due to the hamstring injury he suffered in the final in Rio de Janeiro.
However, the young man has shown a magnificent competitive spirit and a great reaction capacity, standing in the final without having lost a single set in this edition of Indian Wells.
If I won in the known as the ‘fifth Grand Slam’, Alcaraz would join Rafa Nadal as the second player in history to win three Masters 1000s before his 20th birthday (Nadal got 6 and Alcaraz has already triumphed in Miami and Madrid).
On a practically full central court and with some Spanish flags between the stands, Alcaraz faced a Sinner also called to lead the new generation of tennis players and with whom he has already signed some sensational duels in the past.
“It was a great match. Jannik is a great player. He pushes me to improve, makes me play at my highest level. That’s why we played great games”, Alcaraz pointed out on the track as soon as the match finished.
Number 13 in the world ranking and with 2-2 in his four previous meetings against Alcaraz, Sinner had surpassed him in 2022 in the Umag final and eliminated him in the round of 16 at Wimbledon.
However, in the quarterfinals of the US Open, Sinner bowed to Alcaraz after an exciting match that lasted more than five hours and ended at three in the morning in New York.
DISABLE SINNER
The Murcian warned in the preview that Sinner’s “most dangerous” is the pressure and aggressiveness of his blowswhich turn each rally into a challenge of great difficulty.
It was very fine alcaraz in its definition since Sinner He started the game by pulling very hard and without rationing efforts.
The Spaniard was not far behind, also very confident at the beginning, and both players kept their first serves with relative ease.
The first moment of tension for Sinner He arrived with a double fault that gave rise to the first ‘break’ ball for alcaraz (30-40 and 2-2), but he took a direct kick out of his sleeve to get away with it.
However, the Italian stumbled again with another double fault and, with a reverse to the net, allowed the first break for the Spaniard (3-2).
The joy did not last long alcarazwho made several errors in a row and lost serve shortly after with a scoreless game (4-4).
Both players increased their performance in several vibrant rallies with masterful forehands, very hard shots and services such as cannon shots.
With the match marked by an intense equality, Sinner had a set point back after a couple of misses from alcarazbut the man from El Palmar saved it going up to the net and sent the first sleeve to the ‘tie break’.
There he ended up raising his arms alcarazfiner in the key moments of a set that could have been taken by either of them and which ended with a brilliant backhand crossed to the line.
The victory in the first set gave an important moral boost to alcarazwho began to play looser, more comfortable, more fluid.
Thus, the pupil of Juan Carlos Ferrero broke the serve to Sinner on his first turn of the second set and began to excellently alternate between delicious dropshots, forehands sharp as stingers and also some balloons that fell from the sky at the right moment.
In fact, it was one of those perfect lobs that culminated a wonderful rally with which alcaraz it went 3-0 leaving the Indian Wells public with their mouths open.
Sinner He did not throw in the towel until the end but finally gave in to an Alcaraz who closed the game with great confidence and is now only one step away from glory in Indian Wells and number one in the world.