Alcaraz defeats Medvedev and recovers the top of the ATP

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Newspaper La Jornada
Monday March 20, 2023, p. 2

California. The Spanish Carlos Alcaraz devastated the Russian Daniil Medvedev this Sunday and won his first Indian Wells Masters 1000 title, a victory that also returned him the ATP number one, which was in the hands of Novak Djokovic, who could not compete due to his refusal. to get vaccinated against covid.

In the women’s branch, the Kazakh Elena Rybakina, current Wimbledon champion, beat the Belarusian Aryna Sabalenka and also lifted her first trophy in this event.

Medvedev, another former world number one, was overwhelmed by Alcaraz 6-3, 6-2 in just 70 minutes of play to the astonishment of almost 16,000 spectators on the second largest arena in the world.

At 19 years old, the prodigy from El Palmar (Murcia) has three Masters 1000 trophies and one of Grand Slamachieved in September at the US Open when he first reached the top of the ATP.

I am very happy to win this tournament, it is incredible to complete these 10 days. Daniil didn’t play at his best level, but I’m very happy with my performance. I want to play at this level in Miami (next week) tooAlcaraz congratulated himself.

Elena Rybakina, tenth of rankingsurpassed the number two in the world 7-6 (11/13) and 6-4 in two hours and incidentally avenged his defeat in the last Australian Open.

The final day of Indian Wells, whose center court has the Ukrainian flag in solidarity with the Russian invasion, began with a duel between Rybakina, born in Moscow, and Aryna Sabalenka, from Belarus.

With two titles added this year, including his first Grand Slam in Melbourne, Sabalenka started as the favourite. However, the 24-year-old Belarusian wasted two set points in the tiebreak and ended up delivering the first sleeve after committing up to 10 double faults. Rybakina also gave up six set points, but managed to take a decisive lead by pocketing the first set after an 80-minute battle.

After being down 5-2, Sablenka brought out her pride to win the next two games; however, Rybakina, 23, wrapped up the win to become the first Kazakh to conquer Indian Wells. She left behind the last two champions: the Polish Iga Swiatek and the Spanish Paula Badosa.

Rybakina has represented Kazakhstan since 2018, in a decision that, four years later, allowed her to circumvent the ban on Russian and Belarusian tennis players that Wimbledon applied in 2022, an edition in which the Kazakh won her first trophy. Grand Slam.