By Richard Pagliaro | Friday, March 31, 2023
Jannik Sinner dethroned defending champion and world No. 1 Carlos Alcaraz 6-7(4), 6-4, 6-2 to reach the Miami Open final for the second time in three years.
Photo credit: Al Bello/Getty
MIAMI—Jannik Sinner created tennis turbulence—then stuck a brilliant Hard Rock landing.
An airborne Carlos Alcaraz crashed to the court flying after a Sinner backhand bolt behind him in the seventh game of the final set and lost his Babolat racquet in the process.
Flying high in south Florida, Sinner dethroned defending champion Alcaraz 6-7(4), 6-4, 6-2 in tonight's electrifying three-hour clash to reach the Miami Open final for the second time in three years.
Indian Wells champion Alcaraz battled periods of cramps and a more varied attack from Sinner, who avenged his BNP Paribas Open loss to the US Open champion earlier this month.
"For sure it's one of the best wins. Obviously it was a very tough match against him," Sinner told the media in Miami afterward. "I think we both played a very, very high-level match.
"From my side, I think I changed a couple of things from Indian Wells to here, which I had to, and they went my way. So I'm happy about that."
It is the biggest win, by ranking, of Sinner's career and sets up a rematch of the Rotterdam final against red-hot Daniil Medvedev, who defeated his good friend and compatriot Karen Khachanov 7-6(5), 3-6, 6-3, in today's semifinal.
Medvedev stopped Sinner 5-7, 6-2, 6-2 in the Rotterdam final last February raising his record vs. the Italian to 5-0.
"We had already one final in Rotterdam. I was able to win one set there," Sinner said of Medvedev. "We had a couple of matches or some more where we went third set.
"Also there I need to make some changes, trying to mix up the game a little bit also. Then we see. But, you know, I feel ready to compete, happy to be in the final, and let's see how it goes."
Scoring his first career win over a world No. 1, Sinner snapped Alcaraz's 10-match winning streak, dethroned the defending Miami Open champion and dislodged the 19-year-old Spaniard from his world No. 1 ranking.
Because Alcaraz did not defend the 1,000 ranking points he earned defeating Casper Ruud in the 2022 Miami Open final, he will officially fall from No. 1 on Monday when Novak Djokovic regains the top spot.
NBA stars Jimmy Butler and Luka Doncic, Miami Dolphins owner Stephen Ross and Olympic gold medal champions Lindsay Davenport and Mary Joe Fernandez were all part of a packed crowd providing the biggest buzz of the tournament so far.
This was physical and frenetic with outrageous shotmaking from both men recalling their epic US Open battle last September. Alcaraz hurled his body around the court as if auditioning to play Keanu Reeves' stunt double in the next John Wick flick.
The 19-year-old dove across the court, skidded into sliding splits, jammed his left hand on the court and suffered leg cramps. Alcaraz said afterward the cramp struck when he left the court after the second set.
"I went to bathroom like for five minutes, and yeah, everything went down for me a little bit, you know. I stopped myself," Alcaraz said. "Yeah, I start cramping a little bit. You know, after a really tough match is, well, is tough to stop the match for five minutes.
"I know it was me, but it wasn't good for me, but yeah, it was a really tough physically match. Yeah, I struggled with some problems in the third set, you know. Just cramping, but it was tough."
Both men own jolting power and eye-popping speed, which combined for some crackling rallies right out of the box.
Alcaraz went airborne for a Marcelo Rios-style backhand that brought "aahhs" of delight from fans as he bended the ball from the doubles alley down the line into the corner for a clean circus winner.
Sinner shook off that pulsating strike holding for 2-1.
Earlier today, Daniil Medvedev said one reason Sinner has posed problems for Alcaraz is he can trade warp-speed forehands with the 19-year-old Spaniard.
"Carlos, where he'sso good, actually yesterday he made 110-miles winner onthe forehand," Medvedev said. "People are like, Why cannot other people play against Carlos well? "I cannot hit 110-miles forehand. Yeah, that's an advantage. And Sinner is capable of doing this. Sinner is capable of hitting the ball very strong. He was not capable to be as consistent as Carlos. I mean, Carlos also has amazing volley, amazing dropshot, the two breakpoints he saved yesterday. ...
"But in terms of baseline game, yeah, Jannik can hit the ball very strong. I think that's where they have this kind of ping-pong tennis. That's where he can bring him trouble."
Sinner showed it, exploiting an Alcaraz double fault and error by stepping up and smacking a heavy crosscourt forehand. That Sinner strike gave the lanky Italian first-break blood and a 3-1 lead. Clubbing some crackling forehands, Sinner backed up the break holding at 30 with a forehand that rattled off Alcaraz's Babolat frame.
Down 1-4, 15-30, Alcaraz showed the grit and guts that make him so exciting. The teenager carved out a drop-shot lob combination. Sinner was in prime position for a smash to earn break points but bungled it into net. Alcaraz followed with the surprise serve-and-volley then grinded through a long service game crafting an escape act to close to 2-4 with a clenched fist toward coach Juan Carlos Ferrero.
Two points into the seventh game, the pair collaborated on a crackling 25-shot rally. Alcaraz skidded into a sliding split that saw him land on the seat of his shorts, scramble to his feet, extend the point only to see Sinner flick a sharp-angled backhand pass that sent the Spaniard sprawling across the court scattering his Babolat racquet in the process.
Fans erupted in excitement at that flurry as Sinner waved, exhorting the crowd to make more noise.
It was Alcaraz amplifying the crowd noise with another eye-popping sliding get that prompted a netted half-volley from the Italian. A fired-up Spaniard screamed "Vaminos!" breaking back for 3-4.
Deadlocked at 5-all, Alcaraz battered out a pair of break points. The top seed had a good look at a backhand down the line, but netted it on his first break point.
On the second, Alcaraz showed clever court sense hitting a higher, loopier forehand behind Sinner then floated forward for a fine short-angled forehand volley winner. That stirring sequence gave Alcaraz the break and a 6-5 lead.
Stress spiked jitters in both: Sinner pushed a sitter forehand volley wide to hand Alcaraz a set point. The Indian Wells winner gave the gift right back with a double fault and netted forehand to gift Sinner break point.
This is when Alcaraz is most dangerous: He does the unexpected on pivotal points. This time, Alcaraz went straight heat banging a 130 mph body serve and smash saving break point. Alcaraz dodged another break point only to double fault a third break point to Sinner.
The plum-colored Nike shirt Sinner wore was so saturated with sweat it stuck to him like a skin diver's suit as he hit a low pass Alcaraz could not handle to break back ending a nine-minute game to force the first-set tiebreaker.
The 10th-seeded Italian was up a mini break at 4-2 and seemingly had Alcaraz right where he wanted. But Sinner brain-cramped with a timid forehand drop shot that barely reached net to give back the mini break.
Dynamic Alcaraz athleticism saw the sliding Spaniard flick a lob that landed in coaxing a wide forehand from his opponent. Another Sinner miss gave Alcaraz set points at 6-4.
Miami fans were chanting "Carlos! Carlos!" and Alcaraz answered the call, sliding his third ace wide to seal the 77-minute opening set.
It was a demoralizing end to the breaker for Sinner, but he shook it off again, rattling Alcaraz's frame with a heavy drive breaking to start the second set.
Unrelenting depth from Alcaraz provoked a Sinner error as the top seed broke back in the fourth game. Alcaraz held for 3-2 then called for the trainer to check an apparent left hand cut after one of his brushes with the court.
Afterward, Alcaraz said Sinner's lofty level from the start surprised him.
"It surprise me a little bit, you know, the way that he was playing great," Alcaraz said. "So for me, I was thinking that I just stay there and trying to, you know, to get his thoughts, think that he was going to be a little bit down after the beginning of the match, but yeah, he surprised me the level that he started the match."
Though Sinner's transition game is still a work in progress, he continued to step in when possible fending off two break points in the eighth game and eventually earning a hard-fought hold for 4-4.
After that spirited stand, Sinner turned the screws on Alcaraz gaining triple break point. A leaping Sinner fought off a jamming body serve somehow blocking back a return that coaxed an error for the break and a 5-4 lead.
A pumped-up Sinner pushed this semifinal into a third set when Alcaraz whacked a wild backhand wide. Sinner doubled Alcaraz's winner output—9 to 4—in the 54-minute second set.
After two hours, 12 minutes of running, rousing rallies, Alcaraz left court for a bathroom break.
The world No. 1 returned to face an immediate stress test. Knocking a backhand into net, Alcaraz faced break points. Sinner stepped in and slammed a hopping backhand, breaking to start the decider.
When Sinner banged his way through another physical rally, Alcaraz paused to do some deep knee bends and stretch out his leg as if feeling oncoming cramps or a muscle strain. Alcaraz did not move conceding an ace wide from Sinner, who sped about 2-0 just 16 minutes into the final set.
A hobbled Alcaraz was stiff-legged yet still hitting forehand winners to hold serve for the first time in the set.
Serving at 2-3, Sinner saved a break point with a kicking second serve into the body Alcaraz could not cleanly handle. Sinner stood tall, flashing a fist to coach Simone Vagnozzi after holding for 4-2.
An airborne Alcaraz crashed to the court flying after a Sinner backhand bolt behind him in the seventh game. Alcaraz's yellow-and-black Babolat went flying out of his hand, he eventually climbed off the hard court, flashed a thumbs up then thumped an ace for game point.
On this night, Sinner wasn't satisfied with the knock down. He wanted to knock out the champion. Alcaraz scattered a forehand and Sinner broke again for 5-2 just three minutes shy of the three hour mark.
One final forehand strike from Sinner ended a highly-entertaining three hour, one-minute battle.
This match, following their blockbuster battle at the US Open last September, gives us all reason for excitement to watch this rivalry play out over the coming years.
As for Alcaraz, he showed class in the post-match presser not only answering questions in English and Spanish but thanking the media in English and Spanish for staying to attend the press conference.
The game is in good hands with Alcaraz and Sinner lighting up courts all over the world with their brand of pyrotechnic tennis.
Miami hosted Ultra festival, welcome to Ultimate Tennis 2023.
It's pumping, pulsating and electrifying for all engaged.
"I feel something different about the crowd when I play against Jannik. You know, I think around the world is probably all the people watching this match because I think it's really beautiful to watch," Alcaraz said. "Yeah, it was incredible crowd.
"You know, I felt the energy, the love from the people when I was down. So for me it's unbelievable to have this kind of feeling, you know, this kind of support. For me it's indescribable."