Carlos Alcaraz and Daniil Medvedev will face each other in Sunday's big final of BNP Paribas Open 2023. Both players advanced to the final after winning their semifinal clashes in straight sets.
Medvedev was facing the best performing American in this year's Indian Wells campaign, as Frances Tiafoe was the only one player from US to approach the semifinals stage from both males and females. The Russian was a clear pre-match favorite, but needed to patiently wait for the moment to move on the front foot. Tiafoe defended 3 breakpoints in 5th game of the match, but did not manage to do that in the decisive moment of first set, losing a break in 11th game to Medvedev who clinched the set with a score 7-5. The Russian followed the blow after start of second set, earning an early break in 1st game which gave him a driver's seat to close the match. Medvedev had chances to close the match in 9th game, leading 5-4 and having 3 matchpoints within Tiafoe's serve. The American defended all breakpoints tough. Medvedev did not manage to serve out the victory in 10th game, surprisingly blowing away the break advantage. Another chances came back in 12th game. After gaining another break, Medvedev was *6-5 40-0 up and had as many as 4 matchpoints within own serve. He could not convert any of them, got broken again. Tiafoe fought back out of nowhere, forcing the tie-break, but this time the world's number 5 did not blow away his 8th chance to close the match and won it 7-5 7-6(4) at the end.
Carlos Alcaraz defeated Jannik Sinner in straight sets, but it was also not the one-way traffic match. Alcaraz was the first one to gain a break in opening set, but Sinner leveled the score and both players approached the tie-break, won by the Spaniard 7-4. The world's number 2 broke the deadlock in second set as well, but this time took care of his serves till the end and clinched the final spot with a score 7-6(4) 6-3.
The Sunday's final seems to be a delightful spectacle of tennis, where the Indian Wells trophy will be settled between two world-class players being in an absolute top form. It's hard to predict who can win there. Medvedev and Alcaraz have met just once before, in 3rd round of Wimbledon in 2021. The Russian won in straight sets, but Alcaraz was still just a hot prospect, waiting for his time to jump in the league of absolute top ATP players.
