Daniil Medvedev shocks Carlos Alcaraz to set up US Open final with Novak Djokovic (1 Viewer)

Daniil Medvedev delivered an extraordinary performance to secure a remarkable victory over the reigning US Open men's champion, Carlos Alcaraz, setting the stage for an exciting final showdown against Novak Djokovic. The third-seeded player showcased his unrivaled hard-court skills and ultimately prevailed with a score of 7-6[3], 6-1, 3-6, 6-3 in a thrilling match that lasted three hours and 20 minutes. This victory marked Medvedev's fifth appearance in a major final.

Despite facing nine break points from Medvedev, an out-of-form Alcaraz could only convert one of them, and his 77% net success rate proved insufficient to overcome the versatile Russian. Medvedev recorded 10 double faults and nine aces during the match, while Alcaraz registered zero in both categories and only managed to win 48% of points on his second serve. The inspired third seed sought redemption for his previous losses to the 20-year-old at Wimbledon and Indian Wells."

"I said I needed to play 11 out of 10, I played 12 out of 10," Medvedev said on the court. "[At the] US Open, and I don't really know the reason, I tend to play aggressive, fast. I serve well.

"Probably the speed of the court helps me. Like, Indian Wells, I mean, that I did the final was amazing, because I basically can't hit the ball there.

"There were some points I lost, but after the point I was, 'Wow, I have caught some balls that were really tough'. I was, 'Okay, that's good. That means that next point I can do the same. Maybe either he's going to miss or I could make a better shot.' I was in the zone.

"I have hopefully long years of career ahead. And to know I'm capable of doing it on the big stage, every time you do it one more time, brings more confidence. You know you can do it again. You want to do it again. You want to feel this. And at the same time, what is the most important is to kind of use it but forget about it and go for the next one."

In the first set, Medvedev struggled with his serve, committing six of his ten double faults. However, he showcased his exceptional defensive skills by fending off two break points before ultimately triumphing in the tie-breaker.

Medvedev's shot-making brilliance continued to captivate the Arthur Ashe Stadium crowd in the second set, where he broke Alcaraz's serve twice. While Alcaraz's service game significantly improved when the third set commenced, the defending champion's resurgence was evident as he won four of the first five games, effectively keeping Medvedev at bay.

Nevertheless, the third-seeded player had the answers to Alcaraz's serve-and-volley strategy, establishing a 4-2 lead in the fourth set, even though he faced a near-loss of serve in the third game. Double faults plagued Medvedev again as he served for a spot in the final, but Alcaraz missed three more opportunities to break. Medvedev finally sealed the victory on his fourth match point with a forehand smash.

Medvedev's advancement to his fifth Grand Slam final has etched a new record for Russian male players in the Open Era. This achievement brings him face-to-face with Djokovic once more, two years after defeating the Serbian at the 2021 US Open, the only major title in his career thus far.