Daniil Medvedev had admitted it would be almost impossible to beat Carlos Alcaraz, and that he would need to ♚play “11 out of 10” to get a win.
On Friday night at Arthur Ashe Stadium, Medvedev pulled off a stunning 7-6 (3), 6-1, 3-6, 6-3 U.S. Open semifinal win over thꦚe defending champion and World No. 1.
Mission impossible? Mission accomplished.
“I managed to do it,” said Medvedev, who graded his game a 12. “All four sets I played great. … I said I need to play 11 out of 10, all the three sets I won I man💝aged to do it. In the third set I was 9 ¹/₂, maybe 10 out of 10, and as we saw it was not enough against Carlos. I managed to play well, I managed to serve well, hit some lines in important moments, some great shots. But the tournament’s not over.”
No, it won’t end until Sunday.
That’s when third-seeded Medvedev will play a finals rematch with Novak Djokovic, whom he beat for 𝕴the U.S. Open title two years ago.
“Novak, when he loses, he’s never the same after. So he’s different. It’s just a different mentality. That’s why he has 23 Grand Slams,” Medvedev said. “So I have to use [that final] knowing that he’s going to be 10 times better than he was that day. And I have to be, if I want to still beat him, 10 times better than I was that day. That’🐎s what I’m going to try to do.”
Medvedev’s win in that 2021 final at Flushing Meadows kept Djokovic from pullꦗing off the first calendar-year Grand Slam in 𓂃men’s tennis since 1969. And Medvedev put on a tactical master class on Friday to earn a rematch.
Against a red-hot Alcaraz, Medvedev, already a renowned defender, not only served well, but also set up🎃 shop far back off the line to return serves. Then, he pulled of🔯f some miraculous returns and spectacular passing shots.
“He’s one of th💟e best returners on the tour,” the 20-year-old Alcaraz said. “That obviously is amazing how he can return from the back of the court really deep and real💎ly powerful. He’s amazing.
“And when I do💫 serve-and-volley, he always finds the passing shot from his house.”
With the first-set tiebreaker knotted at 3-all, Medvedev untied it by winning the ne꧃xt four points to take the set.
The 27-year-old Rus🌄sian then put Alcaraz on his back foot, jumping out to 🐽a 3-0 second-set lead as the Spaniard showed some rare temper on the court.
“I totally [lost] my mind,” said Alcaraz, who settled in to win 🌟the third set.
But the fourth 🐻set — and the match — belonged t🤪o Medvedev.
Alcarꦬaz was serving while down 3-2 in the fourth set, but amid a long game that took almost 15 minutes, he couldn’t convert a backhand return.
Medvedev took the lead and held it, though some Alcaraz fans tried to distract him as he served out the match.
“The last game of the match, probably a thousand Spanish guys started yelling and shouting between first and second serve. That’s no💧t nice,” said Medvedev, who added, “But I’m happy it didn’t help them. They can go to sleep now.”
And he can go on to the finals.