Alexander Zverev envisioned the first moment to do damage in the duel against the defending champion Carlos Alcaraz in the quarterfinals of the US Open.
The German had two break chances to go up 4-3 in the opening set. None materialized before the mental strength, physical deployment and devastating right of the Spanish phenomenon of 20 years.
In the next game, Alcaraz proceeded to weave his first chance to break, and he didn’t waste it. He defended the serve from him and, in the blink of an eye, the first set was his.
This is how the hot Wednesday night passed in NY: A dazzling Alcaraz imposed his will from start to finish, dispatching Zverev 6-3, 6-2, 6-4 to reach the semifinals.
In total, Alcaraz faced five break points — three more in the third set. He deleted them all. And he capitalized on every one of the four chances he set up with Zverev serving.
“In those moments I try to be aggressive,” shot Alcaraz, interviewed at the foot of the field.
Alcaraz was a couple more wins away from becoming the first man to win back-to-back titles at Flushing Meadows since the five-year reign of Roger Federer between 2004 and 2008.
“I feel very comfortable playing in New York and on this track. Here I am showing my best level,” she said.
Zverev, the runner-up in the pandemic edition of the US Open in 2020, had just played a 4-hour, 41-minute marathon to beat Jannik Sinner on Monday night.
“He was in the match in the first set, I was able to break him, he was able to lean in my favor. He couldn’t,” Zverev said, referring to that key moment in the seventh game of the match.
He added that he began to feel discomfort in his left hamstring during the second set. “I couldn’t push with my serve anymore. The speed of my serve decreased a lot. I was left without my best weapon after the first set”.
Alcaraz is still packed. He has barely dropped a set in five matches.
He was 24-1 in the last four majors he has played. After being crowned in New York 12 months ago, he was unable to play the Australian Open due to injury. He advanced to the semifinals of the French Open, but cramped up losing to Novak Djokovic. Undaunted, he ascended the Wimbledon throne with an impressive five-set victory over Djokovic in the final.
Other Alcaraz-Djokovic for the title looms on the horizon — the final is scheduled for Sunday.
“Those two are on a level apart right now,” Zverev said.
But the semifinals still need to be drawn.
Alcaraz will face Russian Daniil Medvedev, the 2021 US Open champion, on Friday. Djokovic, owner of the absolute record in men’s tennis with his 23 Grand Slam trophies, will face Ben Shelton, a 20-year-old American who is at such an advanced stage of a major for the first time.
“I feel very good physically, tennis and mentally for another battle,” warned Alcaraz, leader of victories (58) and titles (6) on the tour in 2023.
And play to delight the public.
“My intention is for people to enjoy watching the tennis matches,” he remarked. “Trying various shots that people aren’t used to seeing in games. It is what I try, to give a show ”.
YOU MAY ALSO BE INTERESTED IN – DJOKOVIC ADVANCES TO THE SEMIFINALS OF THE US OPEN AND BEATS FEDERER WITH PARTICIPATIONS IN THIS INSTANCE
2023-09-07 15:52:23
#Open #Alcaraz #beats #Zverev #semifinals #York
