It all started with a 96-man draw, and it has now dwindled down to the last two remaining. The final stage is set for the Indian Wells Masters, and the marquee will feature a rematch of the 2023 final between Carlos Alcaraz and Daniil Medvedev. It is Alcaraz’s title to defend, as he was crowned the king of tennis paradise after he defeated his Russian rival in straight sets, 6-3, 6-2, in last year’s final.
The Spaniard leads the head-to-head series with Medvedev 3-2 after claiming the lead at the Nitto ATP Finals in Turin back in November. The World No. 2 will come into this final bout after suffering an ankle injury just three weeks prior, but the Spaniard has proven that he has already healed, and his recent injury won’t be a factor in his pivotal match against Medvedev.
In fact, the 20-year-old boasts of being the overwhelming Indian Wells Masters 2024 betting odds favourite to win the tournament with a price of 1.40, while the surging Medvedev will come in as the underdog at 2.92.
This will be a matchup between two tennis juggernauts, and the entire tennis world will be spoiled with one of the most anticipated rematches in the sport. But before that, let’s take a quick glance at how Alcaraz and Medvedev claimed their final berths, courtesy of SBOTOP.
Carlos Alcaraz snaps Jannik Sinner’s winning streak
Jannik Sinner was one of the favourites to win in tennis paradise this term, boasting a 19-match winning streak and titles from the Australian Open and ATP Rotterdam. The surging 22-year-old Italian was poised to extend his win streak after dominating Alcaraz in the first set of their semifinal clash.
Appearing battered and outmatched, Carlos Alcaraz found the light at the end of the tunnel, immediately flipped the switch, and showed his championship pedigree with an inspiring comeback.
The Spaniard left the entire tennis world in awe with his spirited performance after a humbling first-set defeat. The World No. 2 clawed back and fought valiantly for every point en route to a 1-6, 6-3, 6-2 win, handing Sinner his first loss in the 2024 season while claiming a finals berth to boot.
“I stayed strong mentally. I think that’s a really important part in this game,” Alcaraz said after the match.
“You have to be strong mentally if you want to overcome these kinds of matches, a set down against someone who’s playing an unbelievable game. I’m really happy with the things I’ve done after that, changing my style a little bit, changing my game a little bit. I think it worked very, very well today.”
This win should give a much-needed moral boost to Alcaraz, who is having a tepid 2024 season, chasing his first title since his Wimbledon win last July.
Daniil Medvedev survives Tommy Paul’s upset bid
American Tommy Paul was facing World No. 4 Daniil Medvedev in the semifinals of the Indian Wells Masters, and for the most part, Paul was faring well despite coming in as the underdog.
Paul showed great promise and registered convincing Indian Wells Masters 2024 results all throughout the tournament. Unfortunately for the American tennis prodigy, Daniil Medvedev was too much of an adversary, as the Russian completed a tough-earned 1-6, 7-6(3), 6-2 win.
It was revealed that Tommy Paul rolled his ankle at the tiebreak of the fifth set of their match. His discomfort and struggles were evident, and fans in attendance could visibly see the American struggling in form.
Medvedev has nothing but respect for the 26-year-old American, who had the Russian scratching his head after an impressive first set.
“He was playing pretty unbelievable, and I didn’t know what to do, so the only thing I can do is try to continue to search for solutions,” Medvedev said.
“I played good also, but he had a little bit of a down moment in the beginning of the second set, which gave me some confidence and some time to see more what I can do. Very cold conditions, tough to hold the serve. I’m happy in the end I managed to find solutions and let’s say break through his excellent game tonight.”
Medvedev’s win sets up the much-awaited rematch between the World No. 2 and World No. 4 in the Indian Wells Masters final. And with a win in tennis paradise, Medvedev will accomplish his bid to complete the set of titles at all six hard-court ATP Masters 1000s, having previously triumphed in Cincinnati (2019), Shanghai (2019), Paris (2020), Canada (2021), and Miami (2023).
Disclaimer: Odds are correct at time of publish.
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