Carlos Alcaraz Plays Daniil Medvedev In Wimbledon SFs | ATP Tour | Tennis

Carlos Alcaraz and Daniil Medvedev face off for the second time at Wimbledon in Friday’s semi-finals. Few count on the same final result to the pair’s second-round conflict from three years in the past.

Medvedev breezed previous a then-18-year-old Alcaraz for the lack of simply seven video games at SW19 in 2021, within the Spaniard’s first skilled match on grass. Inside 15 months of that heavy loss, Alcaraz had turn into the youngest No. 1 within the historical past of the Pepperstone ATP Rankings after his speedy improvement into one of the vital thrilling gamers on Tour.

“When he was 17, which was truly not way back, he was a lot much less mature and youthful, which is regular,” mentioned Medvedev on Wednesday when requested about his early recollections of Alcaraz’s time on Tour. “He was lacking [a lot of balls]. Everybody noticed that he is wonderful, however everybody was questioning if he was going to seek out the way in which to overlook much less whereas producing the identical energy. And he did, fairly quick. That is what’s fairly wonderful.”

THIS IS WHAT IT MEANS 🥹 👏⁰⁰Carlitos glides into his first Grand Slam Semi-Last on grass 🌱

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Medvedev would know a factor or two about not lacking. The 27-year-old is famend as one of the vital constant ballstrikers on Tour, together with his capacity to retrieve ball after ball from a deep place key to his personal rise to World No. 1 in 2022. On Friday, his baseline wizardry, mixed together with his highly effective serve, can be key for the third seed’s possibilities of reaching his fifth main championship match.

“He is actually a whole participant,” mentioned Alcaraz of Medvedev on Thursday. “I will say, like I feel [Andrey] Rublev mentioned a couple of occasions, he is an octopus. He catches each ball. It’s wonderful. He is an incredible athlete… He does nearly every little thing properly.”

After his 2021 Wimbledon defeat to Medvedev, Alcaraz needed to wait till March this 12 months to stage the pair’s Lexus ATP Head2Head collection at 1-1. The Spaniard did so in model by dropping simply 5 video games within the BNP Paribas Open championship match in Indian Wells. Regardless of the one-sided nature of that encounter, Medvedev says the sooner circumstances on Wimbledon’s Centre Court docket will allow him to counter Alcaraz’s energy extra successfully.

“I feel Indian Wells is just not going to depend quite a bit right here. It was so gradual in Indian Wells,” mentioned the World No. 3. “It isn’t going to be the identical. At Wimbledonthe ball bounces decrease. The serve is extra essential. There, I felt like I could not get free factors with the serve.”

Though their Indian Wells conflict proved robust for Medvedev, he and Alcaraz have loved equally stellar seasons previous to forging out their personal-best Wimbledon showings this fortnight. Medvedev has now gained a Tour-leading 46 matches on the 12 months, with Alcaraz second on 45, whereas the pair additionally leads the sector with 5 tour-level titles every in 2023. If both lifts the trophy on the All England Membership, they might leapfrog Novak Djokovic to say first place within the Pepperstone ATP Reside Race To Turin.

Most Tour-level Wins In 2023

It’s Alcaraz who has shone extra brightly through the ongoing grass-court swing, nevertheless. The 20-year-old is 10-0 on the floor this 12 months, a tally which incorporates his run to a maiden grass title on the ATP 500 at The Queen’s Membership final month.

In distinction, Medvedev was 2-2 on grass heading into Wimbledonhowever he dropped only one set in his opening 4 matches at SW19 earlier than holding off an impressed Christopher Eubanks in 5 to succeed in his first Wimbledon semi-final. The 20-time tour-level titlist is relishing the prospect of testing his stage towards Alcaraz, who has dropped simply two units en path to the semi-finals himself.

“It is fascinating to play somebody like Carlos,” mentioned Medvedev. “He’s an incredible, wonderful participant. What he continues to do is simply unbelievable. He does not cease. I do not assume he’ll, however I’ve performed plenty of nice gamers in my profession. I managed to win many occasions. So I will attempt to do my finest. If I present my finest, I am going to have my probabilities.”

With Djokovic additionally into the semi-finals, Alcaraz has the added motivation of taking part in to retain his No. 1 spot within the Pepperstone ATP Rankings. The Spaniard should not less than match the seven-time champion’s end in London to maintain prime spot, which means a championship-match conflict between the 2 can be a straight one-on-one shootout for prime spot. Regardless of that looming prospect, Alcaraz is unlikely to be distracted towards Medvedev as he seems to be to avenge his Wimbledon defeat from three years in the past.

“He is taking part in nice right here on grass. He has had an ideal, nice 12 months as properly,” mentioned Alcaraz of Medvedev, who’s simply 275 factors behind the second-placed Spaniard within the Pepperstone ATP Reside Race To Turin. “I misplaced the primary match we performed right here on grass. So I’ve to be taught [from that]however I’m going to benefit from the semi-final.

“I feel I am taking part in nice, I’ve plenty of confidence proper now, so it’ll be a very good match, I feel. I’m going to get pleasure from it.”