Carlos Alcaraz won't play against Novak Djokovic in the 2023 US Open final, as Daniil Medvedev played one of his best matches this season.
Since the draw was made, all tennis fans wanted to see only one match, and that was the final showdown between the first-seeded Carlos Alcaraz from Spain and the second-seeded Novak Djokovic from Serbia.
For these two highest-ranked players on the ATP Tour to meet in the final, they both needed to win six matches at the 2023 US Open. The 36-year-old Serbian did just that when he defeated Ben Shelton, and there was only one man standing in the way, Daniil Medvedev.
Before the tournament started, the Russian said that he was not irritated by the fact that Alcaraz and Djokovic were stealing all the spotlight, as Medvedev seemed to be rarely discussed despite being the third player in the ATP Rankings, and one of the former champions.
He cruised through the event, and when it came to the semifinal showdown against the top seed, Medvedev got a chance to show his qualities. He lost to the Spaniard multiple times this season, but refused to suffer another loss at the Arthur Ashe Stadium.
The first set of the match showed why both players reached the world no. 1 spot in their careers. They both showcased tennis of the highest order, and after neither of the players managed to break, the set had to be decided in a tie-break. Medvedev, playing close to his best, seemed to be the better player, winning the tie-break 7-3, and making his mark.
Not dropping his level by a single bit in the second set, the third seed continued his charge. Medvedev hit seven winners while making only three unforced errors, winning the second set 6-1 and building a 2-0 lead over the 20-year-old.
But Alcaraz refused to give up. He was the better player in the third set, never allowing his opponent to have break points, and after using his only chance, the Spaniard won the third set 6-3, taking the match at least into the fourth set.
The top seed was the first one to have break points in the fourth set, and he had three of them. But they remained unused, and in the sixth game of the fourth set, which was the longest of the set, Medvedev created his chances, breaking Alcaraz's serve and soon serving for the match.
It seemed that Medvedev was in control of the match, yet, the last game proved to be very challenging. First, he had to save two break points, and after that, the Russian hit two consecutive double faults, including one on the match point.
Yet, Medvedev was able to still win the game and eliminate the world no. 1, Carlos Alcaraz, winning 7-6(3), 6-1, 3-6, 6-3 to set up a final clash with Novak Djokovic.
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