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Carlos Alcaraz set for ‘great battle’ against Daniil Medvedev in US Open semi-finals
Alcaraz defeated Germany’s Alexander Zverev in the US Open quarter-finals.
Defending champion Carlos Alcaraz will meet Daniil Medvedev, the 2021 winner, in the US Open semi-finals. Alcaraz, the 20-year-old World number one, claimed a comfortable 6-3, 6-2, 6-4 win against Germany’s Alexander Zverev in the quarter-finals. Ahead of the much-awaited semi-final face-off, Alcaraz has revealed that he is “ready to play a great battle” against Medvedev.
"I am very, very comfortable playing in this court, playing here in New York. I am showing my best level here. Last year was very tough since in the fourth round I played five sets [to get to the final]. Here I’ve played just one match that has gone to four sets. I feel great physically and I’m ready to play a great battle with Medvedev in the semi-finals,” the Spaniard was quoted as saying by Eurosport.
ALSO READ: Zverev, Tsitsipas and Medvedev now playing catch-up to Alcaraz
Alcaraz and Medvedev have, so far, faced each other thrice in competitive tennis. Medvedev currently trails the defending US Open champion 2-1 in head-to-head meetings, with both defeats coming in 2023. The two last faced each other in the Wimbledon semi-finals and Alcaraz had the final laugh in that match.
'My game suits pretty well against Daniil'
In the same interview, Alcaraz spoke about his “tactical game” against Medvedev. “The last matches that I played against Daniil I played a tactical game perfectly. I did pretty well with all the things that I had to do against him, so I think my game suits pretty well against that type of opponent like Daniil. So I’m going to try to do the same things that I did, for example, in Indian Wells and in Wimbledon, and hopefully to get the win and play the same level that I played in those matches,” the 20-year-old said.
A win against Zverev helped Alcaraz get a step closer to becoming the first man to clinch consecutive US Open titles since Swiss legend Roger Federer’s five victories in a row from 2004-08. Alcaraz also became only the second tennis player in the Open era, after Andre Agassi, to qualify for the US Open semi-finals on three occasions before turning 21. Daniil Medvedev, on the other hand, edged past his compatriot Andrey Rublev 6-4, 6-3, 6-4 to reach semi-finals at the Flushing Meadows.
Meanwhile, 23-time Grand Slam winner Novak Djokovic will face young American talent Ben Shelton in the other US Open semi-final. The Serbian great clinched a 6-1, 6-4, 6-4 victory against Taylor Fritz to enter a record 47th men's Grand Slam semi-final. Shelton, on the other hand, will be making his maiden Grand Slam semi-final appearance after defeating his fellow countryman Frances Tiafoe in the quarter-finals.
