In the latest installment of a rivalry that could define the ATP Tour for the next decade, Carlos Alcaraz edged Jannik Sinner to break new ground at the BNP Paribas Open and move within one victory of a return to the top of the Pepperstone ATP Rankings.

After Saturday’s 7-6(4), 6-3 triumph — in which he saved a set point in the opening set — the Spaniard will play his first Indian Wells final against Daniil Medvedev, knowing a win would secure his return to World No. 1.

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“I’m really happy with the performance today,” said Alcaraz, who has not lost a set this tournament. “I’m really happy to get through this great match. Jannik obviously is a really great player with great shots. 

“I would say we’re going to have a great rivalry over the years. We are playing in the best tournaments in the world. It’s not over here. We are going to play a lot of great matches. All I can say is I’m really happy with my first final here in Indian Wells.”

The blockbuster semi-final was the fifth ATP Head2Head meeting between Alcaraz and Sinner, and the first since their marathon US Open quarter-final that set a record for latest New York finish at 2:50 a.m. The Spaniard won their desert showdown in a brisk-by-comparison one hour, 52 minutes to improve to 3-2 in the budding rivalry.

The bulk of the drama came in a back-and-forth opening set as Sinner took full advantage of a dip in level from his opponent to turn a 2-4 deficit into a 5-4 lead, winning 11 straight points in the process. Sinner kept the pressure on to create a set point at 6-5, but a uniquely Alcaraz combination — big serve, drop shot, volley winner — erased the chance and ensured the set would be decided in a tie-break.

Encouraged by his escape, the Spaniard powered through the tie-break, a pair of backhand blasts on set point sealing the deal.

“Playing against Jannik is never easy. I had to overcome a little bit of problems. I had set point down,” Alcaraz said of that crucial period. “I knew that I had to increase my level to [beat] Jannik. It was a really close first set. In the second set I put out all the nerves and played more relaxed. I think it was the key of everything.”

Alcaraz expertly carried his momentum into set two, when he consolidated an early break with a point-of-the-season contender, planting a topspin lob on the baseline after a Sinner dipper forced him to retreat from the net.

He later wriggled out of 0/30 to hold for 5-2, and served out the match with ease behind a pair of punishing forehand winners.

Champion in Miami last season, Alcaraz will bid to become the youngest man to win both legs of the Sunshine Double on Sunday. Also the reigning titlist in Madrid, the 19-year-old is seeking to join countryman Rafael Nadal as the only man to win at least three ATP Masters 1000 titles as a teen (Nadal won six). Alcaraz is 2-0 in his previous finals at that prestigious level.

The Spaniard has reached the final in all three of his 2023 events, with a win in Buenos Aires and a defeat in Rio de Janeiro, both against Cameron Norrie. He missed more than three months from last November due to abdominal and hamstring injuries before making his season debut in Buenos Aires in February.

Alcaraz’s Sunday meeting with Medvedev will be the pair’s second ATP Head2Head matchup, with Medvedev winning their previous meeting in straight sets at Wimbledon in 2021. The fifth seed brings a 19-match and three-tournament winning streak into the title match.

“I really want to play against the best tennis player in the world,” Alcaraz said, looking ahead to the final. “I always say that if you want to be the best, you have to beat the best, and I would say that Daniil is the best player right now… amazing winning streak.

“For me, it’s going to be a really difficult challenge but I’m really prepared for that. I will summon my best tomorrow in the final.”

Sinner, who made history by becoming the first Italian man to reach the Indian Wells quarter-finals or semi-finals, moved up two places to No. 11 in the Pepperstone ATP Live Rankings behind his run to the last four. He was seeking the biggest win of his career by measure of the Pepperstone ATP Rankings against World No. 2 Alcaraz.

Bright Ideas For Tennis continues to make a difference for those in need.

Tim Henman, Jack Draper and Marcus Willis were among current and former British players who joined the organisation’s 24-hour tennis marathon at the LTA’s National Tennis Centre from 25-26 February to raise funds for the I Play 30 programme, which brings together local venues and schools to deliver free weekly coaching for students.

“It’s great to be back with Danny Sapsford and Bright Ideas,” Henman said in a video produced by Bright Ideas For Tennis. “This 24-hour Tennis-a-Thon is not only a great way of raising money, but it’s about the fundraising to provide opportunities within tennis for those that are less fortunate.”

Other British ATP players who participated were Dominic Inglot, James Auckland, Barry Cowan, Jamie Baker, Lee Childs, Martin Lee and Colin Beecher. They joined students from local schools as well as participants in the programme’s inclusive tennis sessions for a memorable day of tennis.

Willis, who last year came out of retirement to pursue a doubles career, was happy to give back. The 32-year-old has supported Bright Ideas For Tennis for a few years and has visited clubs across the country, even recently trying “blind tennis”, which he called “awesome”.

“It’s great to work with Bright Ideas for Tennis to help give more people access to tennis coaching and activities,” Willis told ATPTour.com. “The charity works hard to give opportunities to those who wouldn’t normally get a chance to pick up a racquet and it’s brilliant to see so many other ATP Tour players sharing the court with the participants to support their fundraising efforts.”

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It was the 11th edition of the tennis marathon, which raises funds to allow for the organisation’s programming to continue to provide free access to sports for those who ordinarily would not receive it.

Danny Sapsford, the former British player who is co-founder and charity manager of Bright Ideas For Tennis, thanked all who participated in making the marathon successful again.

“We are delighted to be supported by so many current and former ATP Tour pros. They really do make such a difference to this event and it’s great to see them giving back to the game,” Sapsford said. ”It’s an incredible experience for those taking part to play with them at the National Tennis Centre and create memories for a lifetime.”

Daniil Medvedev added a slightly more straightforward chapter to his rollercoaster 2023 BNP Paribas Open story on Saturday, when he eased past Frances Tiafoe 7-5, 7-6(4) to reach his maiden final at the ATP Masters 1000 event in Indian Wells.

Aside from letting slip seven match points and being broken twice when serving for the match late in the semi-final clash, the fifth seed delivered a high-class all-around display to extend his winning streak to 19 matches. Having so far claimed ATP Tour titles in Rotterdam, Doha and Dubai during his run, the former World No. 1 is now within one match of becoming the first man to win four titles in five weeks since Andy Murray in 2016.

“It was crazy at the end,” said Medvedev. “I got super tight. I would say that [after] 6-5, 40/0, I think I got tight at deuce when I was like, ‘Oh my god, that’s a lot of opportunities missed, this could go not well for me’. So I got really tight, [but] I still managed to continue playing good… The ace [on match point] was a relief, I’m just really happy that I managed not to lose this match.”

As he has been throughout his red-hot run, Medvedev was relentless from the baseline throughout the one-hour, 47-minute clash. Yet he also sprinkled into his performance a series of magical moments that left an at-times exasperated Tiafoe — himself one of the biggest crowd-pleasers on Tour — with few chances to counter.

Medvedev rolled his ankle in his fourth-round victory against Alexander Zverev and then cut his thumb badly in his quarter-final win against Alejandro Davidovich Fokina. After overcoming those challenges and then defeating Tiafoe, he booked an appointment with second seed Carlos Alcaraz or 11th seed Jannik Sinner in Sunday’s championship match. The 27-year-old is chasing his fifth Masters 1000 crown, and his first since 2021.

“I’m playing better and better I would say,” said Medvedev, who had admitted struggling with the slower conditions in his early rounds in the California desert. “When I rolled my ankle I started playing better on this court!

“They’re still not my favourite conditions to play, so that’s why also at the end [today] I was struggling probably. On any other court I could do better with the match points, but we never know. But when you’re in the final you cannot complain, so I’m looking forward to tomorrow and hope I can play my best tennis.”

Despite his late struggles, Medvedev’s serve proved crucial to his victory overall. The World No. 6 won 80 per cent (35/44) of points behind his first delivery as he restricted Tiafoe’s ability to attack freely on return.

Medvedev moved ahead on Stadium 1 by carving a stunning reaction forehand pass off his toes at 5-5, 30/40. That earned him the sole break of an opening set in which his watertight groundstrokes proved too much for Tiafoe, who could not find the consistency to avoid dropping his first set of the tournament.

When Medvedev then broke Tiafoe’s serve again in the opening game of second set and progressed to 5-3, Tiafoe’s hopes of reaching his maiden Masters 1000 title appeared over. After failing to convert three match points on Tiafoe’s serve, however, three consecutive breaks of serve — which included Tiafoe saving four further match points from 40/0 on Medvedev’s serve at 5-6 — ensured a tie-break.

Tiafoe, whose whipped cross-court forehand in particular had powered his remarkable recovery, was again able to put a slow start behind him to turn 1/5 into 4/5 in the tie-break. Medvedev made no mistake with his eighth match point, however. He sent down an ace to seal his spot in the final and improve his ATP Head2Head series lead against the American to 5-0.

Despite falling just short of reaching his maiden Masters 1000 final, the 25-year-old Tiafoe will on Monday return to his career-high of No. 14 in the Pepperstone ATP Rankings as a result of his run in Indian Wells.

There is plenty at stake this weekend beyond the prestigious BNP Paribas Open title at Indian Wells. Carlos Alcaraz, Jannik Sinner, Daniil Medvedev and Frances Tiafoe all have a big opportunity to make a move in the Pepperstone ATP Rankings.

If Alcaraz claims his third ATP Masters 1000 trophy, the Spaniard will pass Novak Djokovic and return to World No. 1 on Monday. The 19-year-old faces Sinner in the semi-finals.

Alcaraz, who became the youngest World No. 1 in history last September, held top spot for 20 weeks. He can return to the position for the first time since January, when Djokovic reclaimed World No. 1.

Pepperstone ATP Live Rankings (Entering Indian Wells SFs)

The teen’s semi-final opponent, Sinner, has a big opportunity to climb to a new career high. The Italian is No. 11 in the Pepperstone ATP Live Rankings, but can surge to World No. 6 with the title.

Sinner’s career-high Pepperstone ATP Ranking is World No. 9, which he achieved in November 2021. The 21-year-old will return to the Top 10 by reaching the final.

Medvedev will be World No. 5 on Monday regardless of his performance the rest of the week at Indian Wells. However, a title in the California desert will put him within 410 points of No. 4 Casper Ruud in the Pepperstone ATP Live Rankings on Monday.

Tiafoe will crack the Top 10 in the Pepperstone ATP Rankings for the first time if he wins his maiden Masters 1000 title this weekend. Even if the American loses in the semi-finals to Medvedev, he will match his career-high World No. 14 on Monday.

Editor’s note: This story was translated from ATPTour.com/es

The future is bright for Carlos Alcaraz, one of the ATP Tour’s biggest stars at just 19 years old. The Spaniard has enjoyed a rapid rise in a sport in which careers are becoming ever longer, and where experience often rules over youth on the professional circuit. It seems nothing can slow the momentum of the Murcia native, however, who already appears on course for another historic season.

The emergence of Alcaraz’s special talent goes against the grain of the current trend. There have never been more players in the Top 100 of the Pepperstone ATP Rankings over the age of 30 than there are now. Never have so many players resisted the pulls of retirement. However, the Spaniard is setting records for precociousness almost every time he steps on court.

In that battle against time, the 2023 BNP Paribas Open represents an opportunity for this young pretender to stare down the players with whom he will share his future in the game. Young players destined to occupy the upper echelons of tennis, those with whom he may have to battle for the biggest titles in years to come. These generational peers, whose arrival in the game comes in parallel with that of Alcaraz, are proving to be his strongest adversaries on court.

By way of example, alongside the Spaniard, there are currently three players under 23 years of age in the Top 20 of the Pepperstone ATP Rankings. Canadian player Felix Auger-Aliassime, Dane Holger Rune and the Italian Jannik Sinner. None of them, unlike the vast majority of other players, has a negative record against the Spanish prodigy. In Indian Wells, Carlos is preparing for the second of back-to-back clashes against two of them.

Auger-Aliassime, charged with stopping the Spaniard in the quarter-finals, was the perfect litmus test for Alcaraz’s toughness. The 22-year-old World No. 10 had won all of his duels with the young star prior to Friday’s match, unlike any other player on Tour. A 3-0 ATP Head2Head in favour of the North American gave Alcaraz something unique in his career: an unbeaten nemesis on the other side of the net.

The Murcia native had never even broken the Canadian’s serve in their three encounters. His 6-4, 6-4 win in Indian Wells therefore represents a true statement of intent against one of his biggest rivals.

“I knew that I had to stand strong,” admitted Alcaraz after overcoming Auger-Aliassime in California. “The previous matches were close. In the Davis Cup I had chances, but in Basel I remember I let my head drop a bit. My goal was not to give up, I might have more chances and, if they came, I had to make the most of them. I did it, I had one of my best matches of the year.”

Dismantling that wall has earned Alcaraz another generational examination. In the semi-finals, he will face 21-year-old Jannik Sinner. The Italian is one of the few players to have a tied ATP Head2Head series with Alcaraz after multiple matches (2-2). To say their most recent encounter was intense is an understatement.

Alcaraz and Sinner’s epic five-set 2022 US Open quarter-final may have fallen the way of the Spaniard, but it provided further evidence of how strong the peers of his generation are. The player from Murcia converted a match point after five hours and 15 minutes of play, at 2:50am, the latest finish in the history of the New York Grand Slam.

“At the end of the match, I had nothing left,” Alcaraz said after surviving one of the most spectacular and intense matches of 2022. “It was genuinely tough for me. The level of tennis we played was so high from start to finish. I made a big effort to stay focused, giving everything on every point. I needed to trust myself at all times.”

“Carlos is the type of player that makes you raise your game,” said Sinner at the time. “I’ve had tough defeats in my career, and this tops the list. It will hurt me for some time, I have to try and find the positive lessons. I know it will be tough. I have to improve and trust that next time I will get the win.”

The next chapter in their rivalry has come quickly. In Indian Wells, they will be competing for a place in an ATP Masters 1000 final and the chance to battle it out for one of the biggest trophies of the year. It is a clear sign of the calibre of tennis the two are producing, and a prospect that Alcaraz finds enticing.

“I feel happy I’m playing against him. We’ve had great battles,” said the World No. 2 in California. “I always enjoy our matches. It’ll be a great match for the fans and also for me. I’ve tried to give 100%, Jannik is playing great and I’m going to enjoy this match.”

In the Coachella Valley, a place graced by so many legends of the game, Alcaraz is looking to stamp his authority against one of his great rivals of the future.

After collecting seven team titles in 2022, Wesley Koolhof and Neal Skupski will compete for their first crown of this season at the BNP Paribas Open in Indian Wells.

On Friday, the Dutch-British duo won 22 of 31 points off their first delivery to survive Santiago Gonzalez and Edouard Roger-Vasselin 6-3, 4-6, 10-5 in the semi-finals at the Indian Wells Tennis Garden.

Top seeds Koolhof and Skupski will compete in their first final of 2023 after earning three Masters 1000 titles last season: Madrid, Montreal, and Paris.

Koolhof and Skupski will next meet Rohan Bopanna and Matthew Ebden, who saved all nine break points faced to edge defending champions John Isner and Jack Sock 7-6(6), 7-6(2).

The Indian-Australian duo captured Friday’s semi-final without seeing a break point of their own and kept a high level to win two tie-breaks. Bopanna and Ebden have been enjoying a strong start to the year, including winning the ATP 500 event in Dubai and a runner-up finish in Rotterdam.

The BNP Paribas Open men’s doubles final will be held Saturday not before 5 p.m. local time.

Fourth seed Alexander Bublik wasted no time Friday at the Arizona Tennis Classic to advance to the quarter-finals of the Challenger 175 event.

The 25-year-old needed just 53 minutes to defeat China’s Zhang Zhizhen 6-1, 6-2. Bublik backed up his heavy first delivery with a strong return performance, capturing 14 of 19 points off Zhang’s second serve.

The Kazakh, who saved all four break points faced Friday, will next seek to avenge his previous two losses (‘18 Budapest, ‘21 St. Petersburg) to Jan-Lennard Struff when he meets the German in the Phoenix Challenger quarter-finals. The qualifier Struff also cruised Friday, downing Thanasi Kokkinakis 6-3, 6-3.

In front of a packed stadium at the Phoenix Country Club, top seed Matteo Berrettini moved past Aussie qualifier Aleksandar Vukic 7-5, 7-6(5). The Italian will next face Alexander Shevchenko, who won the Tenerife Challenger-1 earlier this year. Shevchenko advanced through qualifying in Phoenix and took out Gael Monfils and Marc-Andrea Huesler to make the last eight.

Three seeded players were upset Friday, including Frenchman Richard Gasquet, who fell to American Aleksandar Kovacevic 6-2, 3-6, 6-4. Kovacevic, 24, will rise into the Top 100 of the Pepperstone ATP Live Rankings should he defeat Quentin Halys tomorrow.

The Frenchman Halys scored an upset of his own by taking down World No. 59 Emil Ruusuvuori 3-6, 6-3, 6-4. Alexei Popyrin also advanced Friday when he downed seventh seed Mikael Ymer 6-2, 6-2.

Nuno Borges moved to a perfect 7-0 season record at the Challenger level by defeating Roman Safiullin. The Portuguese No. 1 backed up his highest-ranked win, which he earned Tuesday night by defeating second seed Diego Schwartzman.

Because of rain earlier this week, Saturday’s action in Phoenix will feature quarter-final matches in the morning and the semi-finals after suitable rest.

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