It took some searching, but Carlos Alcaraz finally found his A-game to tame Daniil Medvedev and reach his second straight Wimbledon final, as the champion overcame an erratic first set to beat the Russian 6-7 (1) 6-3 6-4 6-4 on Friday. When Medvedev’s forehand drifted wide on match point, Alcaraz leant back and roared in celebration and perhaps relief that he had managed to turn a contest comprehensively in his favour that had looked like it could turn ugly. Alcaraz’s game at its best perfectly balances risk and reward, tempering the moments of magic with an ability to apply relentless, tireless pressure.
Yet his tournament so far has been typified by lapses in concentration and drops in intensity that have allowed his opponents to claim footholds in contests that should have been more one-sided. The French Open champion needed five sets to edge past Frances Tiafoe in the third round, four to beat Ugo Humbert in the next and also trailed American Tommy Paul in the quarter-finals.
It felt entirely appropriate, therefore, that 2021 U.S Open champion Medvedev, who was brushed aside by Alcaraz in straight sets when the pair met at the same stage last year, claimed the opening set in a tiebreak, with the sort of consistent pin-point hitting that was eluding his opponent. But just when it seemed that fifth seed Medvedev had the Spaniard on the ropes, Alcaraz’s game came together and in the blink of an eye he had taken the match away from the Russian.
“He was dominating the match and playing great tennis with his serves. It was difficult for me and he tried to pull out all the shots,” said Alcaraz, who will now face either Novak Djokovic, whom he beat to clinch the title last year, or Italian Lorenzo Musetti. “It was helpful to be up 2-1 and after that I could enjoy the match. In general I think I played a good match.”
