Daniil Medvedev rates his own performance after sending Carlos Alcaraz packing from US Open

US Open
Daniil Medvedev antics

Daniil Medvedev knew he had to produce a near-flawless display to end defending champion Carlos Alcaraz’s reign at the US Open and he feels he achieved that during their semi-final clash.

Alcaraz had won their previous two encounters as he blew Medvedev away in three sets in the last four at Wimbledon in July while he defeated him in two sets at the Indian Wells Open final in March.

It meant Medvedev had to up his game by a few notches if he was to stand any chance of defeating Alcaraz in New York and the third seed did that and more as he secured a stunning 7-6 (7-3), 6-1, 3-6, 6-3 win to reach his third final at Flushing Meadows.

“I said I needed to play 11 out of 10. I played 12 out of 10, except the third set,” Medvedev said during his on-court interview. “That’s the only way. I don’t know if he’s still 20 or 21, but [he is] so young, already two Grand Slams, world No 1 for many weeks.

“It’s honestly just pretty unbelievable and I think nobody has done it before him. To beat him, you need to be better than yourself and I managed to do it.”

The first set was a tight affair with no breaks of serve before Medvedev edged the tie-breaker with two late mini breaks. He turned into a brick wall in the second set and broke in games two and six before a single break in game four of the third set got Alcaraz into the match.

A break in game six of the fourth set gave him the lead and, although Alcaraz saved three match points, the former world No 1 eventually got over the line at the fourth time of asking.

His reward is a second US Open final against 23-time Grand Slam winner Novak Djokovic and he has fond memories of their previous meeting at Flushing Meadows as he won clash in the final in 2021.

“The challenge is to play a guy who won 23 Grand Slams and I have only one,” Medvedev said. “When I beat him here, I managed to play better than myself and I need to do it again. There is no other way.”

Djokovic leads their head-to-head 9-5, although Medvedev won their most recent match – a semi-final win on the outdoor hard courts in the Dubai in February. However, the Serbian had won their previous four clashes

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