He sets up the Indian Wells final with Sinner
\n INDIAN WELLS
\nDaniil Medvedev ended Carlos Alcaraz\u2019s perfect start to 2026, stunning the world number one 6-3, 7-6 (7\/3) Saturday to book an Indian Wells title clash with Jannik Sinner.
\nMedvedev avenged losses to Alcaraz in back-to-back Indian Wells finals in 2023 and 2024, using an impressive service display and aggressive play from the baseline to keep the Spanish star on the back foot throughout. \u201cSuper happy to beat someone as strong as he (is),\u201d Medvedev said. \u201cIt\u2019s a great feeling.\u201d
\nHe\u2019ll have his work cut out for him again in Sunday\u2019s clash with four-time Grand Slam champion Sinner, who beat fourth-ranked Alexander Zverev 6-2, 6-4.
\nAlcaraz, 22, became the youngest man to complete a career Grand Slam with his Australian Open triumph this year. He followed with a title in Qatar and took a 16-0 2026 record into Saturday\u2019s contest.
\nBut Medvedev was up to the challenge, last month\u2019s Dubai champion running Alcaraz ragged in the intense desert heat as he pushed his own ATP win streak to nine matches.
\n\u201cI just felt like the long rallies, especially when you play against Daniil, that the rallies are long, that you have to increase all the power in almost every shot,\u201d Alcaraz said.
\n\u201cSo it feels like you\u2019re wasting extra energy after every shot. And with the heat, sometimes it\u2019s really tricky to deal with all of that.\u201d
\nAfter Medvedev needed just one break of serve to pocket an opening set in which he didn\u2019t face a break point himself, Alcaraz made some adjustments broke first in the second for a 3-1 lead.
\nBut Medvedev broke back immediately, and his control in the rallies had Alcaraz gasping after one long point in the ninth game.
\n\u201cThe first set … he just made it that I had to struggle a little bit,\u201d Alcaraz said. \u201cIn the second set, I started to feel much better. I realized what I have to do. I realized that I have to suffer, and I accept it.\u201d
\nAlcaraz hung on to hold serve for a 5-4 lead in the second set, but he was unable to convert a pair of set points in the next game and they went to a tiebreaker that was all Medvedev.
\n\u201cHe was playing aggressive, and he didn\u2019t even miss,\u201d Alcaraz said of Medvedev, who raced to a 6-1 lead in the tiebreaker to book is third shot at the title.
\n\u201cHe\u2019s an amazing player with amazing shots, defense, attack, serve, return, everything,\u201d Medvedev said. \u201cSo you need to be at your best \u2014 and I was.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
He sets up the Indian Wells final with Sinner INDIAN WELLS Daniil Medvedev ended Carlos Alcaraz\u2019s perfect start to 2026, stunning the world number one 6-3, 7-6 (7\/3) Saturday to book an Indian Wells title clash with Jannik Sinner. Medvedev avenged losses to Alcaraz in back-to-back Indian Wells finals in 2023 and 2024, using an […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":536902,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[3],"tags":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-536878","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-sports"},"yoast_head":"\n