San Diego Union-Tribune (Sunday)
ALCARAZ, MEDVEDEV TO CLASH IN FINAL
Carlos Alcaraz defeated Jannik Sinner 7-6 (4), 6-3 on Saturday to advance to the BNP Paribas Open final against Daniil Medvedev.
Medvedev beat Frances Tiafoe 7-5, 7-6 (4) on his eighth match point for his 19th consecutive match victory of the year.
Alcaraz needs to win the title today to regain the No. 1 ranking in the world from Novak Djokovic. The Serb, a five-time champion in Indian Wells, withdrew before the tournament began after he wasn’t allowed to enter the U.S. because he is unvaccinated against COVID-19.
Alcaraz and Sinner had split their four previous meetings, with Alcaraz winning both matches on hard courts.
Medvedev, the fifth seed, has dominated Tiafoe, winning all five of their career meetings, including 12 of 13 sets in the process.
But the 14th-seeded American put up a valiant fight, saving seven match points in the second set before succumbing.
“If I didn’t win this match, I think I would have nightmares for a very long time. I would not sleep well tonight and a few nights more,” Medvedev said on court.
Tiafoe regularly charged the net to counter Medvedev’s power baseline game. He saved three break points and stayed on serve until the 11th game of the first set. But Medvedev had a net-cord forehand winner to go up 6-5 and then served out the set.
Tiafoe saved three match points while serving down 5-3 in the second. Medvedev piled up four more match points while serving for the match leading 6-5, but couldn’t cash in until the tiebreaker.
“That makes me even happier mentally that I still managed to win,” Medvedev said, “because try playing a tiebreak when you just lost seven match points. I managed to start it well straightaway doing great shots and great rallies.”
Medvedev had 30 winners and just nine unforced errors.
Elena Rybakina, the 10th-seed, faces No. 2 Aryna Sabalenka for the women’s title today.
Djokovic out in Florida
After Djokovic withdrew from tournaments in Florida and California because he still can’t travel to the United States as a foreign citizen who is not vaccinated against COVID-19, a U.S. Tennis Association spokesman said Saturday the group is “very hopeful” the top-ranked player will be allowed into the country for the U.S. Open in August.
“Policies concerning access to the United States are determined by the White House. We are very hopeful that the policy preventing Novak Djokovic from entering the United States will be rescinded, or lapse, in the near future,” the USTA’S Chris Widmaier wrote to The Associated Press. “No COVID-19 restrictions are in place at the U.S. Open for any player, fan or other attendee. Novak, one of our sport’s great champions, would be welcome to compete at the 2023 U.S. Open.”
The two-week U.S. Open starts in Flushing Meadows on Aug. 28.
Djokovic, a 35-year-old from Serbia, was unable to get to New York for the season’s last Grand Slam tournament in 2022, when he also missed the Miami Open and BNP Paribas Open because he never got the shots for the illness caused by the coronavirus. A six-time Miami Open champion, Djokovic is out of the field for the event that begins next week, a spokesman for the Miami Open said.