The semifinals at the 2023 Nitto ATP Finals are set, and what a lineup it is.
Carlos Alcaraz’s 6-4, 6-4 victory over Daniil Medvedev on Friday afternoon gave Alcaraz the top spot in the Red Group, eliminating Alexander Zverev. That means the 20-year-old will face Green Group runner-up Novak Djokovic, while Medvedev will go up against Green Group winner Jannik Sinner.
Alcaraz needed either a win over Medvedev or a Zverev loss against Andrey Rublev to advance. The world No. 2 avoided the waiting game and kept his destiny in his own hands by erasing Medvedev in just one hour and 20 minutes.
“I think the most important thing that I did today was to stay strong mentally,” Alcaraz said afterward. “There were a few games on my serve [when] I was struggling a bit. His return game is amazing and he puts so much pressure on your serve, so I think to stay calm and stay strong mentally in those moments was the key to give myself a chance to win this match.”
Alcaraz and Djokovic will be facing each other for the fifth time in their careers and for the fourth time this season, with the head-to-head series tied up at 2-2.
“It’s one of the most difficult challenges that I’m going to face–facing Novak in the Nitto ATP Finals, where he has won six times,” the Spaniard assured. “Novak is Novak. He is the best player in the world right now; he’s lost just six matches this year. He’s unbelievable. I’m going to play my best tennis and enjoy it the same way I did the past few matches.”
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Medvedev deliberately played below par and lost to avoid facing Djokovic in semi
it’s possible
You were bragging about how good the tennis was on twitter…
in what match