Carlos Alcaraz has finished top of the Red Group after a 6-4, 6-4 win over Daniil Medvedev Friday in Turin, setting the stage for a semi-final showdown Saturday with six-time champion Novak Djokovic at the Nitto ATP Finals.
With the world’s Top 4 players all emerging from the group stage, Medvedev, the 2020 champion, will play Italian hope Jannik Sinner in the other semi-final.
Alcaraz and Medvedev produced a high-quality shotmaking show at the Pala Alpitour in Turin, where the Spaniard increased his aggression and moved forward to gain an advantage on the World No. 3.
“I think the most important thing that I did today was to stay strong mentally,” Alcaraz said in his on-court interview. “There were a few games on my serve that 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.”
A pivotal moment came when Alcaraz reeled off seven consecutive points in the first set, breaking Medvedev’s serve to love at 3-3. Alcaraz, who is making his Nitto ATP Finals debut, played with variety, often mixing in serve-and-volleys and drop shots to counter Medvedev’s deep court positioning.
Alcaraz improves to 3-2 against Medvedev in their Lexus ATPHead2Head series, with the Spaniard’s trio of victories all coming in 2023.
More to follow…