Carlos Alcaraz vs. Daniil Medvedev
Back in the 2023 U.S. Open, Medvedev beat Alcaraz in the semis and in the final, Djokovic put him down over the Russian. Since then, Medvedev has won many matches, but he has yet to win another Slam again, but the Spaniard has now won three majors, recently at Roland Garros.
They have played each other six times, and Alcaraz leads Medvedev 4-2. At Indian Wells in March, Alcaraz edged Medvedev in the final. Yes, the now 21-year-old is younger, but Medvedev is 28-year-old, so he does have more experience. However, from the baseline, if Alcaraz is on fire, and he can be very creative.
“[Medvedev] is a really great player,” said Alcaraz “The same semi-final as last year and hopefully I’m going to get the same result. He is in really good shape. I have to play my best. I have to believe in myself and try to keep going if I want to beat him. It is going to be a difficult one, but I’m going to enjoy it.”
Medvedev can be really steady, and he can hit it down the line and crosscourt, but he doesn’t really like to go into the net. Or maybe he will.
“That’s still the most important thing on grass. You serve aces, you serve on the line, you’re less in trouble, and you feel better,” Medvedev said. “That’s where you can put pressure on his serve. He’s a tough player. He can hit strong. He can slice. He can dropshot. He can volley. He knows how to play tennis. Just need to be at my best, like kind of how [I beat Jannik Sinner] and try to win.”
This is a toss up, to a degree, as on the grass, both of them have to really think what to do, each hour. Medvedev is cranked up, but here at the 2023 Wimbledon, at the semis again,Alcaraz beat him 6-3, 6-3, 6-3, and then he won the tournament. He is aiming again, and on Friday, Alcaraz will win it 4-6, 6-4, 6-3, 5-7, 6-3. Another blaster.
Novak Djokovic vs. Lorenzo Musetti
Surprisingly, the Italian just beat Taylor Fritz 6-1 in the fifth set, and he was so darn good, nailing with his forehand and his backhand on Wimbledon. However, last month at Roland Garros, and in the third round, he played against Djokovic. In the fifth set, he lost, 6-0. Ouch. Yes he was a little bit hurt, but still, the Serbian just kept on chugging. Cleary, the former No. 1 is better against Musetti, but he is only 22-years-old, so he is finally rising. He has though about it when he mentally struggled in Paris on the clay against Djokovic. Now he has to improve in London.
“I think I analysed that match really well and the key moments where I could do better,” said Musetti. “I put myself in that position. I think in the past weeks, starting from Stuttgart, I started to feel more continuous on that, on the attitude.”
He certain did that when he beat the Americans, here, such as Fritz, but now Musetti has to figure out against Djokovic, who can be very patient, and smash his forehand. Djokovic is still very fast, and his first serve can go anywhere, and with his forehand and his backhand, he can flat it out, or spin it. Since he won a Slam for the first time, in 2008 at the Aussie, he was very good, but Djokovic was not great at the net. Right now, though, he improved so much, year after year.
Musetti is very logical when he can run side to side, and mix it up, too. He has some slice it, he can whack it. But really, Djokovic is a little bit more experienced, and if he isn’t playing fantastic, he can re-adjust it. Therefore, Djokovic will win another semis, in four sets, 5-7, 7-5, 6-3, 6-2.