By Richard Pagliaro | @TennisNow | Friday, July 12, 2024
Reigning champion Carlos Alcaraz defeated Daniil Medvedev 6-7(1), 6-3, 6-4, 6-4 to reach his second straight Wimbledon and Slam final.
Photo credit: Rob Newell/CameraSport
Wimbledon—A jolting drive flashed past his racquet, leaving Daniil Medvedev wearing the stupefied expression of a man watching a train blow by on a bicycle path.
After a nervy start, Carlos Alcaraz unleashed all-court acumen engine to keep his Wimbledon title defense on track.
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In a rematch of the 2023 semifinal, Alcaraz defeated Medvedev 6-7(1), 6-3, 6-4, 6-4 advancing to his second straight Wimbledon final in style.
Reigning Roland Garros and Wimbledon champion Alcaraz stretched his Wimbledon winning streak to 13 matches, joining his tennis hero, Rafael Nadal, as the second Spanish man in history to reach The Championships final on multiple occasions.
“First of all I am glad to play outdoors at the end different conditions, but really happy about my performance today,” Alcaraz told Annabel Croft in his on-court interview. “I started really, really nervous. He was dominating the match playing great tennis with his serve and return game. It was difficult for me but I tried to pull out all the nerves.
“[At the] beginning of second set, it was really helpful to be up 3-1 and after that I could enjoy the match, I moved pretty well; generally I think I played a good match.”
Alcaraz raised his career grass-court record to 23-3, including a 17-2 mark at The Championships.
The 2022 US Open champion joins Bjorn Borg, Boris Becker and Nadal as the fourth man in Open Era history to reach multiple Wimbledon finals at age 21 or under.
This victory comes one month after Alcaraz fought off Olympic gold-medal champion Alexander Zverev 6-3, 2-6, 5-7, 6-1, 6-2 in a four hour, 19-minute marathon to capture his first Roland Garros championship and become the youngest man to capture major titles on all three Grand Slam surfaces.
The 21-year-old Spanish superstar rides a 13-match Grand Slam winning streak into his fourth major final on Sunday.
It's a rematch of the classic 2023 final that saw Alcaraz dethrone defending champion Novak Djokovic in five pulsating sets captivating the sports world.
In today's second semifinal, 24-time Grand Slam king Djokovic stopped 25th-seeded Italian Lorenzo Musetti, 6-4, 7-6(2), 6-4 in two hours, 48 minutes.
The 37-year-old Djokovic is playing for a record 25th Grand Slam championship, including an eighth Wimbledon crown, which would equal rival Roger Federer's record.
Facing Djokovic in a major final is tennis' ultimate test. Alcaraz says "I'm ready to take that challenge and I'm ready to do it well."
"Well, obviously everybody knows Djokovic. He has played multiple Grand Slam final, have won a lot of them," Alcaraz said. "Last year it was a really difficult match. He put me in a really trouble, I'm going to say. But, yeah, I know how it's going to feel playing against Djokovic.
"I've played few times in Grand Slams, final of Master 1000, multiple times against him. I know what I have to do. I'm sure he knows what he has to do to beat me. It's going to be a really interesting one if I'm going to play against Djokovic for sure."
Shifting speeds and spins masterfully, Alcaraz was an unsettling presence in this third major semifinal between the pair.
When drop-shot artist Alcaraz wasn’t tormenting the fifth seed with soft touch, he was rocketing drives down both lines. Alcaraz ripped 24 more winners than Medvedev (55 to 21) and converted 6 of 15 break points in a two-hour, 55-minute victory.
This performance was more dissection than the demolition Alcaraz dispensed crushing Medvedev 6-3, 6-3, 6-3 in the 2023 Wimbledon semifinals before the Russian’s revenge with a four-set triumph in the 2023 US Open semifinals.
Alcaraz's skill producing answers from all over the court shrank the safe space for Medvedev.
"The hing is that he imposes his game so much, and he has the ability to do it because of his power, that, as I say, I feel like I was doing the right thing, and then sometimes by doing the right thing, I would still get three winners in the game on my serve, and that's a break," Medvedev said. "Yeah, you questioning yourself a lot because, you know, like the return position, like today I returned pretty close to the line, I would say.
"I broke him three times, but there were two sets where I didn't, and no break points. So I was questioning myself during the match, do I go a little bit further back? I don't think it will work against him. At the same time from the close was also not working. Yeah, you're questioning yourself. That's part of the challenge. And when you manage to beat him, it makes it even more beautiful."
To be sure, there were mis-steps for the three-time Grand Slam champion, whose shot selection varied from magical to maddening a few times.
Alcaraz is such a compulsive drop-shot artist, he even resorted to the rare smash drop shot attempt—and bungled it so badly he buried his face in his arms.
Still, there are plenty of positive signs for the three-time Grand Slam champion. Despite not playing his best from start to finish, Alcaraz’s versatility and unpredictability were major weapons as he lifted his level above his fellow former world No. 1 today.
In the opening set, Medvedev came out playing more solid tennis. Running down a dropper, Medvedev then threw down a smash breaking for 4-2 before holding at 15 for 5-2.
Scalding shots down opposite sidelines, Alcaraz pulled the string on a forehand drop shot breaking back for 4-5.
In the tiebreaker, Medvedev pumped a forehand return winner down the line and followed with a stretched backhand pass bursting out to a 5-0 lead before banging a 121 mph serve down the T to take a one-set lead.
Unfettered, Alcaraz continued his drop-and-drag attack: dabbing drop shots to lure the net-averse Russian forward and produce a variety of passes. At times, Alcaraz summoned tactics reminiscent of Medvedev’s co-coach Gilles Simon.
Playing some no pace slice shots to the Russian’s forehand wing, Alcaraz sometimes followed with jolting forehands. That play not only disorientated Medvedev with the sudden shifts of spin and injection of pace—it also denied Medvedev the pace he prefers to counter.
Alcaraz zipped a running forehand pass breaking for a 3-1 second-set lead before holding at 15 for 4-1. A 127 mph body serve locked down the second set for Alcaaz.
In the third game of the third set, Medvedev played a sloppy three-error game to gift Alcaraz the break and a 3-2 third-set lead.
A backhand pass off the sideline, a 132 mph serve winner and a biting body serve helped Alcaraz snare a two sets to one lead after 92 minutes of play.
Overall, Alcaraz won 38 of 53 trips to net and repeatedly summoned Medvedev forward too.
Alcaraz said the game-plan was simple: minimize longer rallies and maximize chaos.
“Trying to do different things,” Alcaraz said. “I try not to play long rallies. I tried to hit slice, drop shots and try to go to net as much as I can.
“Try not to play his game. Obviously there were a few points that were really long rallies. I tried to play my own game and not to pass 10 or 12 shots in a rally.”
Serving-and-volleying, Alcaraz picked a slick backhand volley off his shoelaces backing up the break for a 5-3 fourth-set lead before closing the show in two hours, 55 minutes.
Yes, you can find fault with Alcaraz's relentless pursuit for the show-stopping thrill shot.
Sometimes, as when Alcaraz went for the drop shot smash, it can seem self-indulgent shotmaking.
At heart, you have to admire Alcaraz for wanting to give fans a show, for knowing he has the skill to do it and for believing no thrill shot is beyond his production.
Will Alcaraz need to play more buttoned-down, disciplined tennis if he faces seven-time Wimbledon winner Djokovic in the final on Sunday?
Actually, given the 37-year-old Serbian superstar is coming off knee surgery last month and about the only less than exceptional shot in Djokovic's arsenal is his smash, don't be surprised to see Alcaraz play drop-and-drag touch shots if the rematch of that brilliant 2023 final comes off.
Remember, Alcaraz is 3-0 lifetime in Grand Slam finals so he knows what he has to do to defend a major title for the first time.
Alcaraz, whose shot-making skills pushed Medvedev’s buttons through this semifinal, had some fun with British fans afterward referencing Spain facing England on Sunday in the UEFA Euro 2024 on Sunday.
The three-time Grand Slam champion predicted it’s “going to be a really good day for Spanish people.”
“I feel like I’m not new anymore,” Alcaraz said. “I feel like I know how I’m gonna feel before the final.
“It’s gonna be a really good day for Spanish people as well with the Euro Cup. I didn’t saw Spain is gonna win—I just say it’s really gonna be a fun game.”