Alcaraz saves MP and wins a late night battle against Sinner to reach maiden Grand Slam semifinal at US Open
ATP
Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner took care of one of the best quarter-final matches in the history of the US Open.
The two youngsters are set for a huge rivalry in the future and they prove it with every match they play. They have already played three times this year, and after the Italian won the first two matches, it was time for Alcaraz to get his first win of the season against Sinner.
But it didn't seem like a reality in some stages of this match that can be compared to a rollercoaster. In the first set, the Spaniard started with a break, but he was soon broken back, and his opponent was up 3-2.
Then, the ATP World No. 4 played a few incredible games and won four in a row to take the first set, 6-3. The second set was the second longest in the match.
Sinner got an early break, and at 5-4, he was serving for a set. However, his opponent fought back as he won 10 points in a row and even got four set points to finish off the set. But he couldn't and so it had to be decided in a tie-break.
Both players had their chance to win the tie-break, but they missed their first opportunities, so the score was 7-7. But since then, the Italian won both points to level the score of the match.
In the third set, players traded breaks once again, and this time, it was Alcaraz who was serving for a set. But his opponent stayed calm, won 9 points in a row to break him back and win the third-set tie-break 7-0 to lead the match.
The fourth set was also dominated by Sinner for the majority of the time, as he got the first break and soon led 3-1. Despite losing it then, he added another, and at 5-4, he was serving for a match and had a match point.
But once again, Alcaraz fought back, won 11 out of 12 next points, and made it 2-2 as fans in New York were about to see a decider after 4 hours and 28 minutes.
It was anyone's match in the fifth set. Sinner got the first break, and it looked like he would leave the Arthur Ashe Stadium as a happier player. But the Spaniard managed to win four games in a row once more to win the match 6-3, 6-7(7), 6-7(0), 7-5, 6-3 and set up a semi-final clash with Frances Tiafoe.
Probably every tennis fan and tennis player watched this thriller. Feliciano Lopez was among those who commented on social media, tweeting: "Seems like I am watching a table tennis match." Stan Wawrinka joined him: "How good is this match."
Alcaraz was naturally delighted about the win, but speaking after beating Sinner, he also didn't know how he was able to outplay his opponent.
"Honestly, I still don't know how I did it. You have to believe in yourself. I believed in my game. It was really difficult to close out the match. I tried to stay calm, but it is difficult in the moment."
