Alcaraz beats Medvedev to reach second consecutive Wimbledon final
Alcaraz manages Medvedev 6-7, 6-3, 6-4, 6-4 in three hours
On Sunday, Carlos Alcaraz will attempt to defend his crown at the All England Club. The twenty-one-year-old reigning French Open champion finds himself in rarefied air; halfway to the elusive Roland Garros-Wimbledon double.
There are only five men in this elite club: Rod Laver, Bjorn Borg, Rafa Nadal, Roger Federer and Novak Djokovic.
While Alcaraz was far from his best heading into the penultimate round, his opponent was on a tear. In quarters, Daniil Medvedev took out the world #1 and reigning Australian Open champion Jannik Sinner.
The 28-year-old Russian had taken the Italian to love in two sets in the Aussie Open final, but lost in five. old world #1 got his revenge on the London lawns to reach his second straight Wimbledon semi-final.
While Alcaraz led head to head 4-2Medvedev sent him to four in the semifinals at 2023 US Open. The Spaniard won the shot and elected to take.
Photo: Getty
With the center court roof open, Medvedev battled through a double fault, four games and a break point before holding. Alcaraz did 2/4 first serves and is held in love on the level.
Russia, with its strong defense and outstanding attack, dictated the game with depth and variety. Although he opened the third with his second double fault, he held on 15 with an ace up the tee.
Alcaraz dropped three first serves in a row, faced a triple break point and dropped serve after a barrage of hard shots from his opponent. Medvedev served five unforced errors including another double fault and got the break back.
Alcaraz lost 3/5 first serves, faced a double break point and converted the break when Medvedev hit a forehand. of 2021 US The open champion opened the seventh with a blistering backhand to the finish line and held on 15 ABOUT 5-2. Alcaraz serving to stay in the set with new balls, hit three winners in a row including his first ace and held at love.
Medvedev hit his third ace but faced a triple break point and dropped serve when he missed out with a forehand volley. During the changeover, the supervisor took to the court to discuss an audible curse that Medvedev directed at the chair after what he deemed an incorrect call. Russia was extremely close to failure, but instead received an unsportsmanlike conduct violation.
Alcaraz served once more to stay the set. He opened with a net shot, but with a volley winner, holding 30 ABOUT 5-5 while Medvedev hit two straight winners in the volley and held to love 6-5.
Alcaraz lost 3/6 first serve and made two errors on the first wing, but with a forehand and missed return, forced the offender. Medvedev hit four spectacular winners, competed in a 6-1 lead, and secured the tie on the next point when Alcaraz scored the return.
The Spaniard served first in the second, opened with an ace and held 15 ABOUT 1-0. Medvedev world #5opened with two extra aces and held to level. Alcaraz opened the third with a walk-off hit, but secured the game with a groundout 27-shot on the rally with an inside-outside forehand.
Medvedev serving new balls faced a double break point and dropped serve as Alcaraz hit two winners to consolidate the break for 4-1. Medvedev lost 3/5 first serve but held in 15 when he crushed a cross court.
Alcaraz hit two straight winners, including an ace wide and held 15 ABOUT 5-2 while Medvedev scored two consecutive winners and remained in love with him 3-5. The reigning Wimbledon champion lost 5/8 First serve including two double faults, but with a monster serve wide, assured the group 6-3.
Medvedev served first in the third and held 30 while Alcaraz hit two forehand winners and held to love. The Russian served four forehands and dropped serve as Alcaraz served with new balls, hit two forehand winners and consolidated the break at love.
Medvedev did 4/6 first serves and is held for him 30 ABOUT 2-3 while Alcaraz hit three straight winners including his fourth ace for 4-2. Medvedev opened the seventh with a fantastic forehand drop volley winner, but after two consecutive double faults, he faced break points. He fought and held on 3-4 with three consecutive first serves and two additional forehand winners.
Alcaraz opened the eighth with a relentless drive to the net, but an overhead shot and a drop shot held for 5-3. Medvedev stayed in the set with a forehand volley and backhand line winner, but Alcaraz closed out the set. 6-4 with the first three serves well hit including one wide in the 132mph.
Medvedev served first in the fourth game and although he held game point, he faced two deuces, two break points and broke serve when Alcaraz pressed a forehand across the crossbar. However, the Spaniard opened with two consecutive forehand errors and returned the break with a third.
Russian service with newly made balls 2/4 first served and held with love to consolidate the rest. Alcaraz opened the fourth with his fifth ace and with his sixth, held to love 2-2.
Medvedev opened the fifth with a successful serve and volley and closed with a cross volley winner. Alcaraz lost 4/5 serves first, but with two first-hand winners, held at 15 ABOUT 3-3.
Medvedev opened the seventh with a cross-court jump volley winner, but with his sixth double fault, faced double break points and dropped serve with a backhand error.
Alcaraz scored two straight winners to consolidate the break 5-3 while Medvedev, serving to stay in the match, faced 0-30 but held on with two superb winners, including a deft backhand.
The three-time Grand Slam champion did 5/6 serves first and won his spot in the championship match when his opponent’s pass went wide.
The twenty-one-year-old continues to make history; The youngest world number one, the youngest Grand Slam winner on three surfaces and the chance to defend his title at Wimbledon.
He finished with six aces, and two double faults and won 73First % and 61% of second serve points regardless of first serve percentage of fifty seven. He hit fifty-five winners and forty unforced errors while converting 6/15 break points. More impressively, he limited unforced errors and served more effectively as the match progressed.
He will need to rise further in the Championship on Sunday when he faces seven-time Wimbledon champion Novak Djokovic in a repeat of last year’s five-set thriller. Thirty-seven-year-old Djokovic is currently ranked second and leads head-to-head 3-2. This will be their second tournament-level meeting on the grass and is not to be missed.