WATCH: Jannik Sinner displays complete tennis as he wins a thrilling point against Carlos Alcaraz in Miami

In a highly anticipated match at the Miami Open presented by Itau, Jannik Sinner secured a statement win over Carlos Alcaraz in their budding rivalry. Sinner’s 6-7(4), 6-4, 6-2 victory in the semifinals will bring an end to Alcaraz’s reign as the top-ranked player in the Pepperstone ATP Rankings, with Novak Djokovic set to take over the World No. 1 spot on Monday. Sinner’s win also serves as revenge after he was defeated by Alcaraz in the Indian Wells semifinals two weeks prior.

Sinner took an early lead in all three sets, but he faced two break points at 3-4 in the second set. However, he managed to win 19 of the next 21 points, securing the set and taking a 2-0 lead in the decider. Alcaraz seemed to be struggling physically in the third set, but he managed to regroup and earned a break point at 3-2. Despite this, Sinner fought back and clinched the win after playing three hours of high-quality tennis.

In front of NBA players such as Luka Doncic and Jimmy Butler, Sinner and Alcaraz played an exciting match with many spectacular points. The two players engaged in long rallies where neither player remained neutral for long. During the first set with a score of 4-2, Sinner won an exceptional point, which could be considered as a candidate for the point of the year. The point included a 25-ball rally, where both players demonstrated their exceptional attacking and defensive skills. Sinner concluded the rally by hitting a backhand beyond a diving Alcaraz.

Sinner’s impressive play in the first set wasn’t enough to stop Alcaraz from making a comeback, as the Spaniard took the lead at 6-5 and ultimately won the tie-break. Alcaraz started the second set strong and appeared to be on his way to another comeback, but Sinner regained his form and secured the win. In total, Sinner hit 28 winners compared to Alcaraz’s 22 and won 16 of 25 net points, demonstrating a versatile and dynamic performance that led to his first victory against a current world number one.

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Jannik Sinner advances to Miami final to face Daniil Medvedev after defeating Carlos Alcaraz in the semifinals

The possibility of a rematch between Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner in the Miami Open championship match has been ruled out, as Alcaraz lost in the semi-finals. However, a highly-anticipated final is still on the cards, as Daniil Medvedev is set to play in his fifth final in his last five tournaments, and he will be facing a formidable opponent in Sinner, who is currently in excellent form. Although Medvedev has won all five of their previous matches, Sinner’s current form makes him a dangerous opponent, particularly in this tournament.

The Miami Open final will not feature a rematch of the Indian Wells final between Carlos Alcaraz and Daniil Medvedev. Instead, Jannik Sinner will take on Medvedev, who is playing in his fifth straight final. Sinner and Medvedev played against each other in the Rotterdam final earlier this year, with the Russian winning 5-7, 6-2, 6-2. They also had a close match at the Nitto ATP Finals in 2021, where Medvedev won 6-0, 6-7(5), 7-6(8).

Although Sinner has never beaten Medvedev, he knows he is capable of winning. Miami is Sinner’s best chance as he has a great record of 13-2 at the Masters 1000 event, 13-1 if we don’t count a retirement, and he reached the final last year but lost to Hubert Hurkacz. Sinner has been in great form, winning against Laslo Djere, Grigor Dimitrov, Andrey Rublev, Emil Ruusuvuori, and Alcaraz this year. Prior to his semi-final match against Alcaraz, no one had won more than four games in any set against the 21-year-old.

In Indian Wells, Medvedev faced some ups and downs en route to the final and ultimately lost to Alcaraz. However, his path to the Miami final has been relatively smoother. After receiving a walkover from Alex Molcan, he won his next three matches in straight sets before overcoming his countryman Karen Khachanov 7-6(5), 3-6, 6-3 in the semifinals.

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