Embraced after an incredible match: Carlos Alcaraz (right) and Jannik Sinner. © APA/getty / MATTHEW STOCKMAN
Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner are two exceptional talents. They proved that once again in the quarterfinals of the US Open. Unlike the last two duels, this time the Spaniard got the upper hand after an epic battle. Nonetheless, Sinner can return to Europe with his head held high. He sold himself dearly on the world’s largest tennis stage.
08. September 2022
From: leo
First in the Wimbledon round of 16, a few weeks later in the Umag final: Jannik Sinner had in the last two matches with the world number 4. proved that he can not only tease him, but also beat him. In the third meeting of the season, the man from Murcia wanted to hit back. And he succeeded: Thanks to an incredible performance, Alcaraz put a strong sinner in his place in five sentences. 3: 6, 7: 6, 7: 6, 5: 7, 3: 6 from Sinner’s point of view after 5:15 hours, in which top-class tennis was shown. Particularly bitter for the South Tyrolean: In the fourth set he had a great chance to reach the semi-finals with a match point. But it didn’t want to be.
The two protagonists chose a horrendous speed from the first rally. The spectators at Arthur Ashe Stadium quickly realized that Alcaraz was out for revenge. The Spaniard played almost flawlessly from the baseline, attacked the second serve of the sextner – and broke immediately. He did something that he hadn’t managed to do in the last two duels against Sinner: in Wimbledon and Umag he found 16 break chances, but didn’t use any of them. Before the eyes of the former US Open winners Andy Roddick (2003) and Juan Martin Del Potro (2009) as well as ski star Lindsey Vonn, Sinner reacted quickly. He got the break back and took a 3-2 lead. The youngsters played at an extremely high level – especially Alcaraz, who was always the more aggressive in the rallies and put Sinner under great pressure in his service games. This was not least due to Sinner’s low rate and again (too) many double faults. And so the 19-year-old got two more breaks. The first set, in which Alcaraz beat 16 (!) winners, went to the Spaniard.
Sinner needed to change something about his game – and he did. From the beginning of the second period, the protégé of Simone Vagnozzi and Darren Cahill was much more aggressive. He forced Alcaraz more and more into the defensive and slowly gained the upper hand. The reward for the courageous performance was the early break to 3:1. The duo drove themselves to top performances, the fans cheered spectacular points every minute. But just when Sinner led 5: 4 and served for the set, the first service let him down. Alcaraz punished this – and broke back. Not only: he won ten points in a row, had four set balls when serving Sinner – also thanks to the point of the tournament. But the South Tyrolean kept a cool head, was lucky and saved himself in the tie-break. This one was hard to beat in terms of tension. Sinner led 5: 3, Alcaraz came back. Then a set ball, which Alcaraz fended off with an unbelievable passing shot. A short time later, the Spaniard had the fifth set ball. But then: ace from Sinner, who zeroed in with a fantastic return winner down the line.
Drama pur
As it now began to dribble slightly, the roof of the Arthur Ashe closed. So it was played in indoor conditions that Sinner likes so much – as does Alcaraz, by the way. And you could see that: The Spaniard felt visibly comfortable at the beginning of the third set, but Sinner lost some intensity after the exhausting second section – and his service game to 2: 3. Three slight mistakes then prevented a re-break, Alcaraz increased to 4:2 with difficulty. But Sinner did not give in. He promptly regained the loss of serve, only to be broken again at 5:5. A combination of too many second serves and strong returns from Alcaraz led to this.
The sentence decision? Are you kidding me? Are you serious when you say that! Sinner returned fantastically, Juan Carlos Ferrero’s foster son found the right answer twice, but Sinner struck the third time. Another tie break. In this, the now unleashed playing South Tyrolean delivered the really big show. Not only did he make no mistakes, but he also grabbed extra time in a spectacular way – 7-0! The fourth set started at 1 a.m. local time.
match point awarded
For Sinner, this began as desired. Namely with a break! Sinner now had the upper hand, but Alcaraz didn’t give up. He equalized to make it 3:3, but couldn’t counter Sinner’s reaction, who got the second break of the set with a clean sheet – and was only two games away from reaching the semi-finals. The nerves began to flutter now. The 21-year-old initially missed a match point, then committed a double fault and was broken after a forehand was twisted. A hard blow from which he never recovered. Completely let down by his serve, Alcaraz closed the set 7:5.
The fans were torn out of their seats again and again. © APA/getty / JULIAN FINNEY
Everything now spoke for Alcaraz: the momentum, the physical freshness, his 6-1 record in fifth sets. For this, Sinner could count on his lion heart and his incredible will. He somehow held through the first two service games, then snagged the break but gave it back immediately – even though he was already leading 40-15 in the game. At Sinner, the service was still stuck, which Alcaraz punished coldly. He ran away to 5: 3 – and shortly afterwards made everything clear.
This is Alcaraz in a semi-final of a Grand Slam tournament for the first time. There he now meets the American local hero Frances Tiafoe, who defeated Andrey Rublev in three sets. He still has the chance to become the new number 1 in the world rankings. Sinner, on the other hand, will leave New York disappointed, rest for a few days, look back on the tournament with pride, and then concentrate on the end of the season.
