New Delhi,UPDATED: Sep 9, 2023 08:29 IST
Daniil Medvedev put on a brilliant performance in the semi-final of the US Open 2023 as he knocked out the defending champion Carlos Alcaraz to setup a summit clash with Novak Djokovic.
Medvedev defeated Alcaraz 7-6, 6-1, 3-6, 6-3 to book his place in the final of this year’s US Open, which will be a rematch of the summit clash from 2021.
The first set was a closely contested affair. Despite Alcaraz’s impressive first serve percentage of 83% compared to Medvedev’s 57%, the Russian managed to bring the game to a tie-break. Medvedev took control immediately and won the tie-break convincingly with a score of 7-3.
This momentum carried over into the second set, where Medvedev quickly found himself leading 3-0. Despite Alcaraz’s attempts to claw back, Medvedev maintained his dominance, breaking Alcaraz’s serve and finishing the set with a score of 6-1.
However, Alcaraz was not ready to concede defeat. In the third set, he managed to turn the tables on Medvedev. After saving two break points, Alcaraz capitalized on Medvedev’s errors and won the third set 6-3. This victory breathed new life into the match and set the stage for an exciting fourth set.
The fourth set saw both players fighting tooth and nail for every point. Medvedev managed to break Alcaraz’s serve early in the set, putting him in a commanding position. Despite facing multiple break points, Medvedev held his nerve and served out the match, winning the fourth set 6-3.
For the Russian, it was also a bit of revenge on the Spaniard, who had knocked him out in the semi-finals of Wimbledon earlier this year. Alcaraz was also leading the head to head between the two stars heading into the match on Friday, which has now been levelled up.
Medvedev will be hoping for a repeat performance from the 2021 US Open final against Djokovic as he defeated the Serbian in straight sets to win the title.
