Alcaraz faces Medvedev for Indian Wells title

INDIAN WELLS:

Defending champion Carlos Alcaraz handed Australian Open winner Jannik Sinner his first defeat of 2024 on Saturday to set up an Indian Wells final against Daniil Medvedev.

Alcaraz’s 1-6, 6-3, 6-2 win ended Sinner’s 19-match winning streak, including a 16-0 start to the year, and ensures Alcaraz will remain world No. 2 next week.

“To be able to finish something like that, it’s unbelievable for me,” Spain’s Alcaraz said of ending the Italian’s streak.

Sunday’s final against fourth-seeded Russian Medvedev is a repeat of last year’s championship.

Medvedev also had to fight back in a 1-6, 7-6 (7/3), 6-2 win over 17th-ranked American Tommy Paul. In the final he will be out to thwart Alcaraz’s bid to become the first repeat Indian Wells ATP champion since Novak Djokovic won three straight titles from 2014-2016.

Alcaraz and Sinner’s semifinal was interrupted by a three-hour rain delay at 2-1 in the first set, but it proved worth the wait as the 20-something stars put on a show.

“The matches with Yannick are always special,” Alcaraz said. “We know we have to play at our highest level to win. We have to put magic on the pitch, incredible points and for the crowd it’s great too.”

Sinner quickly took the initiative when play resumed, winning four straight games to win the first set.

He saved the only break point he faced and won the insurance break for a 5-1 lead, hitting a short ball for a nipping cross-court winner on break point.

Alcaraz turned it around in the second set with a clever change of style, backing up to allow more time for returns and gradually worked his way into the match.

He broke Sinner with a deep volley winner for a 3-1 lead and held on for 4-1 in a game that had fans on their feet cheering a thrilling rally at the net.

He saved break points in the seventh and ninth games before sealing the set with a drop-shot winner.

“I stayed strong mentally,” Alcaraz said. “I think that’s a very important piece in this game.

“That kind of match, a set that I’m playing against someone who’s playing an unbelievable game — I’m very happy with the things I’ve done.

“I changed my style a little bit, I changed my game a little bit and I think it worked very, very well,” said Alcaraz, who is chasing his first title since winning Wimbledon last year.

Sinner’s errors multiplied in the third set and Alcaraz broke in the third game, landing a high backhand volley to end another scrambling rally.

World number three Sinner, who had dived to retrieve a ball, came up shaking out his right arm and rubbing his elbow.

Suddenly he was powerless to stop Alcaraz, who won five straight games, ending the match with a forehand winner.

It was the second year in a row that Alcaraz stopped Sinner in the Indian Wells semifinals.

“Definitely not the ending I wanted, but playing against him, it’s always tough,” Sinner said. “I tried to play good tennis, which I have done, especially in the first set.

“Then I made a few mistakes. The momentum has changed. It’s raised its level.”

Medvedev said the chilly afternoon conditions made it difficult to find a groove in the opening set against Paul, but like Alcaraz he was able to make some adjustments.

He won the first four games of the second set, but Paul aggressively attacked the net to claw back and force a tiebreak, in which the American rolled his ankle in the sixth point.

Medvedev won the last five points of the tiebreak to level the match and took a 5-1 lead in the third, eventually fending off a pair of break points in the final game to close it out.

The reward is a chance to avenge last year’s loss to Alcaraz and claim the only one of the six Masters 1000 hard court titles he has yet to win.

“I know what happened last year, so I’m going to do my best to try to turn it around, play better, play harder, more on the lines, hit more aces, things like that,” Medvedev said. “I hope I can make it.”