Carlos
Alcaraz revealed that it was challenging for him to keep his composure during
the match against Daniil Medvedev in the semifinals of the
US Open.
The young
star faced a tough defeat against the Russian and was eliminated in the
semifinals after winning 12 consecutive matches at Flushing Meadows,
considering his title in 2022 and now five consecutive matches to reach the
semis.
Although
Alcaraz was the heavy favorite, Medvedev was superior for much of the match and
ultimately secured the victory with a score of 7-6, 6-1, 3-6, 6-3.
The
Spaniard commented on his performance in the match, noting that the first set
was closely contested but that he struggled to maintain his composure during
the tie-break.
"I
think I started the match pretty well. It was a close first set. In the
tiebreak, you know, after 3-All in the tiebreak, I, let's say, I lose my mind.
I make three or four points without control. I totally lose my mind on that
set. It was really tough for me to handle it," he said.
After
Medvedev claimed the first set, the world No. 3 was dominant in the second set,
quickly winning it to take an almost insurmountable 2-0 lead:
"In
the second set I didn't came back. It was almost in the moon (smiling). For me
it was tough. Obviously Daniil, he was playing great. You know, it was tough
for me to came back, you know, to the match and playing a great game
again," the defending US Open champ said.
"I
almost threw the racket to floor, but I just control myself just be in the
moment, but it was tough for me to stay calm."
The
tournament's final will be played on Sunday, September 10th, featuring Daniil
Medvedev against the 23-time Grand Slam champion Novak Djokovic, repeating the
2021 final that the Russian won for his first and only Grand Slam title to
date.