2023 US OPEN
Can Medvedev win against Alcaraz, and how?
When Daniil Medvedev won the 2021 US Open, many saw him as the player who would carry the ATP Tour after the retirement of the Big Three.
In the meantime, one guy appeared who is kryptonite for almost all his colleagues, and especially for Medvedev, it turned out this year. Can the Russian do something different to hurt Carlos Alcaraz in the US Open semifinals?
They met twice this season – in Indian Wells, it was 6:3, 6:2, and at Wimbledon, 6:3, 6:3, 6:3.
Alcaraz expressed his satisfaction with his tactical performance in his recent matches. He feels confident playing against Danilo’s skill-level players and is determined to replicate his previous successes.
Alcaraz experienced a slight dip in form during the Toronto and Cincinnati tournaments but made a strong comeback during the Ohio finals against Djokovic. Although he lost that match, he has continued to perform well in New York, showing maturity beyond his years. He has won four games in a row without dropping a set, with his only set loss coming against Dan Evans, a match that was already decided. The quarterfinals were expected to be a challenge, but after a long five-hour battle between Zverev and Siner, it was clear that whoever won would be tired and unable to fight much.
Medvedev, while a formidable player, has been known to experience fluctuations in his performance. For example, he missed the chance to end his match against O’Connell in three sets, struggled initially, lost the first set to De Minaur, and trailed behind in each set against Rublev. However, he managed to win the game 3-0 despite being behind. It is worth noting that the match against Rublev cannot be considered a reliable benchmark due to the harsh playing conditions. At a press conference, the 27-year-old from Moscow rated his current form as a “10 out of 10″ but admitted that he would need to perform even better to defeat Alcaraz. He praised Alcaraz’s powerful shots, including a forehand that can reach 160 km.
Medvedev’s playing style appears unsuited for playing from the court, attacking, and dictating the game. On the other hand, he has demonstrated that against Alcaraz, it would be self-destructive to retreat, defend, and wait for counterattacks.
Therefore, Medvedev emphasized the importance of his service, which may even pose an increased risk on the second serve. If he manages to win a set and continues serving at a high percentage, he may be able to take advantage of Alcaraz’s nervousness and errors. However, Alcaraz has a variety of weapons to punish Medvedev’s position on the court, both on the return and in the exchanges, including drop shots and serve-volley.
It remains to be seen whether Daniil will try something new, such as entering the court and attempting to engage Alcaraz in monotonous exchanges, giving him a chance to be more consistent and persistent.