ATP Masters: Djokovic-Alcaraz, shock at the top in the semi-finals

The two best players on the planet, Novak Djokovic and Carlos Alcaraz, will face each other on Saturday in the semi-finals of the ATP Masters for the fourth time this season after the Spaniard’s authoritative qualification on Friday.

They each lost a match in the group stage of this “Masters tournament” and had to tremble to reach the semi-finals in Turin (Italy).

If Djokovic, world No.1 and defending champion, had to wait for the victory Thursday evening of the Italian Jannik Sinner against the Dane Holger Rune (6-2, 5-7, 6-4) to get his ticket to the last square, Alcaraz, his runner-up in the ATP rankings, had his destiny in his hands.

He did not provide details regarding Daniil Medvedev.

The Spaniard (20 years old) dominated the Russian, already qualified for Saturday’s duels, in two sets 6-4, 6-4, with an almost identical scenario in both sets.

In the first set, he took his opponent’s serve with a shutout at 3-3 and maintained his advantage to win the set in 39 minutes.

He broke Medvedev once again, notably author of a big error on a volley and a double fault, in the 9th game of the second set to lead 5-4 and win the match on his serve.

For his first participation in the ATP Masters, Alcaraz therefore offers himself a semi-final resembling a final against Djokovic who at 36 years old co-holds the record for victories in the event (6) with the Swiss Roger Federer and who is guaranteed to end the year in first place in the world for the eighth time in his career.

– Djokovic leads 2-1 in 2023 –

They have already faced each other three times this year with two victories for the Serbian, in the semi-finals at Roland Garros and in the final of the Masters 1000 in Cincinnati, and one for the Spaniard who deprived “Djoko” of the calendar Grand Slam in beating him at the end of an epic final at Wimbledon 1-6, 7-6 (8/6), 6-1, 3-6, 6-4.

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“It’s incredible to be in the semi-finals in my first participation in this tournament. I produced very good tennis in my last two matches”, underlined “Carlitos”.

“Novak, it’s Novak. He’s the best player in the world, he’s only lost six matches this season, which is just incredible,” he continued.

“I will have to play my best tennis,” concluded the Spaniard who won six titles in 2023.

The other semi-final will pit Jannik Sinner, winner of the green group with three victories in as many matches and the first Italian to reach the last four of the ATP Masters, against Medvedev.

Scheduled for Friday evening (9:00 p.m.), the final meeting of the group stage between the German Alexander Zverev who beat Alcaraz on Monday and the Russian Andrey Rublev no longer has any sporting interest, except that it will bring 200 points in the ATP rankings and $390,000 to its winner.

jr/bde