Briton won Alcaraz by 2 sets to 1, while the Danish, Medvedev, by 2 sets to 0; decision will be the first of a Masters 1000 or Grand Slam among players born in this century
On an afternoon of surprises in Indian Wells, Briton Jack Draper and Danish Holger Rune eliminated on Saturday (15) and finalists from the last two editions, and will fight for the first masters 1000 trophy of the year. Draper won a strange and exciting semifinal against Alcaraz 6-1, 0-6 and 6-4 and ended the Spaniard reign in the California desert, where he had a sequence of 16 consecutive wins. Alcaraz, who sought the third consecutive title, previously won only by Roger Federer and Novak Djokovic, began the confusing game and lost the first set in just 23 minutes, after committing 13 unfeigned errors.
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His subsequent reaction was interrupted by a Draper who was very mentally solid to reach his first final of Masters 1000. “I am extremely proud of my competitiveness and my attitude. Getting to this phase of the tournament is something I wish since childhood, ”said Sutton’s southpaw, semifinalist of the last US Open. “At the beginning of the second set I lost my concentration and it seemed that she was escaping me very quickly. I think I did a good job of replacing my head in place, ”said Draper after a victory with which he knocks on the top-10 door for the first time.
Alcaraz’s last defeat at Coachella Valley had been in the 2022 semifinals against his idol Rafael Nadal. This setback aggravates a disappointing start to the world’s number three, eliminated in the quarterfinals of the Australia Open and the ATP 500 of Doha. Alcaraz, who won the ATP 500 from Rotterdam, nor managed to overcome the ranking leader in California, Italian Jannick Sinner, suspended until May. This Sunday’s final between Rune, 21, and Draper, will be the first of a Masters 1000 or Grand Slam among players born this century.
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In the first semifinal of Saturday night, Holger Rune defeated Russian Danil Medvedev 7-5 and 6-4 and advanced to his first Indian Wells Masters 1000 final. Medvedev, in turn, was without the third consecutive final in the Californian desert after the two in which he was defeated by Alcaraz. Former number one in the world, Medvedev, thus extending his title fast since the Masters 1000 victory in Rome in May 2023, in a final expired against Rune.
Already the Danish broke a sequel to seven losses in ATP semifinals and will now fight for a trophy that would relaunch his promising career, somewhat stagnant in recent years. Rune, a generational partner of Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner, was seen as a potential third member of the ‘big 3’ of the future when, at age 19, he won the Paris-Bercy Masters 1000 in 2022, defeating Novak Djokovic in the final.
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A year later they lost in the Monte Carlo and Rome Masters 1000 finals and now will have its first opportunity in California. “That means a lot. The work is not over yet, but the feeling is amazing, ”Rune said after ensuring his classification to the final. During his time at Indian Wells, the Nordic had already left another member of the Top-10 of the ATP ranking, Greek Stefanos Tsitsipas, and this Saturday eliminated Medvedev who had won 14 of the previous 16 games at Coachella Valley.
“For me, playing against Danil is one of the most difficult challenges on the circuit. He beat me the last two times, ”he recalled. “Even though he executed the right tactic, it was super difficult.”
*With information from AFP
Posted by Matheus Lopes
