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Carlos Alcaraz's defensive prowess during his semifinal clash against Daniil Medvedev left tennis fans awestruck.
Although Alcaraz secured a comfortable straight sets victory over Medvedev in the semifinals of the 2023 Wimbledon Championships, he faced significantly tougher competition from the 2021 US Open champion at Flushing Meadows.
After a closely contested battle in the opener, the Russian played out a spectacular tiebreak to take the first set 7-6(3). The 27-year-old carried his momentum forward into the second set as well, taking a two-set lead after winning 6-1. However, he was unable to close out his win in straight sets as the defending champion bounced back strongly to claim the third set 6-3. Medvedev leads at 5-2 at the time of writing.
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As Daniil Medvedev served at 15-0, 5-6 in the opening set, a remarkable rally unfolded between the Russian and Carlos Alcaraz. The Spaniard displayed his exceptional defensive skills, covering the entire length of the court to counter the 27-year-old's shots. The World No. 1 also showcased his exceptional ability at the net.
Despite eventually losing the point, the 20-year-old's effort was met with deafening cheers from the packed crowd at Arthur Ashe Stadium and even earned a look of appreciation from Medvedev.
Several fans expressed their admiration for Alcaraz's defense, with one fan likening him to an impenetrable wall.
"Alcaraz is the closest thing to a wall," a fan commented.
"Alcaraz is just must-see TV, swear this stuff happens once every 10 minutes in his matches," another fan chimed in.
Other fans stated their appreciation for the high level of tennis on display over the course of the match.
"This match has been unreal," a fan wrote.
"This is a phenomenal match and it's only the first set," another user posted.
Here are a few more fan reactions:
"People beat Djokovic, even beat Nadal on clay, which is impossible" - Daniil Medvedev on whether he can beat Carlos Alcaraz ahead of US Open SF
Following his win over Andrey Rublev in the the quarterfinals of the 2023, Daniil Medvedev commented on what made Carlos Alcaraz such a challenging opponent.
"Yeah, I would say what makes him that difficult is just that he has every shot. He has extra power to other players. So it's true many players probably I would go with 97%, it's tough for them to hit the ball through me, like I'm always there, always running, always trying to get it back," Medvedev said in his post-match press conference.
While the Russian acknowledged the Spaniard's well-rounded game, he also pointed out how every player is beatable in tennis, citing Novak Djokovic and Rafael Nadal as examples.
"So that's one thing he's good from forehand, backhand, he can slice, dropshot. So he has every shot in the game. But again, tennis, you can always beat players. People beat Novak. People even beat Rafa on clay, which is almost impossible but some players do. It's the same about Carlos," he added.
The winner of the semifinal clash between Carlos Alcaraz and Daniil Medvedev will take on Novak Djokovic in the final of the 2023 US Open on Sunday.
