Carlos Alcaraz dispatched Daniil Medvedev in straight sets at his maiden ATP Finals in Turin on Friday, earning revenge for his loss to the third seed at the US Open and booking a semifinal berth with top-ranked Novak Djokovic.
“I think the most important thing that I did today was to stay strong mentally,” said the Spaniard following his 6-4, 6-4 victory over the Russian.
“There were a few games on my serve that I was struggling a bit. His return game is amazing and he puts so much pressure on your serve, so I think to stay calm and stay strong mentally in those moments was the key to give myself a chance to win this match.”
20-year-old Alcaraz, the youngest ATP Finals semifinalist since Rafael Nadal in 2006, will stage a semifinal showdown with top-ranked Novak Djokovic, a six-time champion at the men’s tennis year-end tournament.
“It’s one of the most difficult challenges that I’m going to face,” Alcaraz noted. “Novak is Novak. He is the best player in the world right now. He’s lost just six matches this year, he’s unbelievable. I’m going to play my best tennis and enjoy it the same way I did the past few matches.”
Also qualifying for the semis, Medvedev will play against home favorite Jannik Sinner on Saturday.
SOURCE: XINHUA
