Carlos Alcaraz was defeated by Daniil Medvedev in the semifinals, ending his tenure as the U.S. Open champion. on Friday night to force a meeting with Novak Djokovic in the championship game. The 23-time Slam champion Djokovic was defeated by the No. 3-seeded Medvedev in the 2021 Flushing Meadows final for Medvedev’s lone major victory. Due to that, Djokovic was unable to complete the first calendar-year Grand Slam for men’s tennis since 1969.
On Friday night, Daniil Medvedev entered Arthur Ashe Stadium knowing exactly what was required of him to even have a chance of defeating Carlos Alcaraz and that not many people gave him a chance to do so.
Playing Against No.1
The third seed, Medvedev, rose to the situation in a match of the highest caliber, defeating Carlos Alcaraz in New York triumph despite facing the formidable No. 1 and a very disadvantageous matchup. Medvedev: “I said I needed to play 11 out of 10. “I participated in 12 of 10”. In his third US Open final in the past five years, Medvedev will renew his enthralling rivalry with Novak Djokovic rather than the top two facing off.
People had been looking forward to a Djokovic vs. Alcaraz final since before the start of these two weeks. That would have been a rematch of the championship match between Alcaraz and Djokovic at Wimbledon in July, which Alcaraz won in five sets.
About the Match
On Friday night, the seemingly unstoppable Alcaraz, the current showstopper of the sport, head-on. In the second set of US Open match, Medvedev matched Alcaraz shot for shot while executing one of the game’s most devastating serves. This aggressive play caused Alcaraz to nearly lose his composure. He was on the verge of throwing his racket to the floor but refrained. After surviving Alcaraz’s third set comeback effort, the Russian defeated the tournament’s top seed and current world No. 1 in four sets, 7-6 (3), 6-1, 3-6, 6-3.
However, after a break to the toilet and a change of clothes. Medvedev reverted to his original state and transformed into the human backboard once more. The capable of squeezing a ball past even his most talented and acrobatic opponent.
Final Against No.2
No. 2 in the world During a Grand Slam final, Djokovic is rarely in better shape than he is right now in US Open, especially recently. He is preparing to play in his fourth game of the year and has two victories. He had secured the second victory of the men’s semifinals in which toughness triumphed over elegance two games later. Once more, the fingers were raised in the air. He had been soundly defeated by Alcaraz twice this year. Not today, and it was time to start concentrating on the next match with Djokovic, a test unlike any other in sports.
According to Medvedev, “it’s a mental exercise where you want to go to war.” The biggest ambitions I have are Grand Slams, he stated on Friday night. “I planned my schedule so that I could give these competitions my all, and it worked out again this year.”
Djokovic needed to defeat 20-year-old Florida lightning-bolt Ben Shelton in order to win the championship match. Similar to Alcaraz, Shelton put on one of the U.S. Open’s most entertaining performances each time he took the court.