Doubts tormented Carlos Alcaraz just before his debut at the ATP Finals in Turin. The Murcian arrived at a delicate moment of confidence after an unsuccessful period of results. Zverev uncovered many of the problems on the first day. Rublev served to continue filming. And against Medvedev the best Carlos Alcaraz appeared on the scene again, completely recovered from the emotional ups and downs that followed him and offering a level of tennis that only he and someone else is capable of achieving. First in his group and an added prize, facing Novak Djokovic in the semifinals, a most special duel between the two best tennis players on the planet according to the ranking.
If anyone thought that Daniil Medvedev would offer less resistance because he was qualified for the semifinals, they couldn’t be more wrong. The Russian tennis player was that uncomfortable rival, wild on serve, threatening to the rest and consistent in the exchanges. Helped by an extra fast track, which favors his virtues, Medvedev offered his best to also try to be second in the world at the end of this year.
The match was fleeting, of drawing lines, of imagining impossible angles, of creating minimal advantages with each blow. The contenders were only on the track for 1 hour and 20 minutes. But let no one be fooled, it was played at breakneck speed and maximum intensity. He dominated the service at the beginning, but the first cracks soon appeared, almost always in Alcaraz’s serves. Medvedev’s aggressiveness allowed him to dominate the long rallies and made the Murcian experience very delicate moments, which was in those moments, he suffered two break balls against him, when he raised his level to emerge completely victorious.
And suddenly, the Russian gets messy. If there is anything less stoic about this agile and impetuous giant, it is his head. When he makes mistakes they take their toll on him almost immediately. In the seventh game, a double fault toppled Medvedev’s house of cards. Alcaraz entered the kitchen with a break to zero on the Russian’s service.
By then Alcaraz had shown a consistency in his game not seen in the tournament. And with his first prize achieved, his confidence increased even more in the second race. He began executing the serve volley to perfection and dominated at the net with his trademark impossible shots. The level did not stop rising and Medvedev asked for a break. But the Russian is one of those rivals against whom a small mistake makes everything come into discussion. The Russian, a great returner, a better server, scores points in any circumstance. In the third game of the second set, Alcaraz had two break balls that he wasted with unforced errors. Medvedev was still alive.
The Russian then began to avoid hand-to-hand combat. He managed to surprise the rest on a couple more occasions, but he never went beyond 0-30. With courage and precision, Alcaraz repaired the damage again and again. And in the ninth game the Russian’s pájara returned. At 4-4, Medvedev was not able to score first and even gave away the game with a double fault. Alcaraz only had to take what belonged to him as tennis and continue with what must be routine for him. Win again and again.
