INDIAN WELLS, Calif. — Daniil Medvedev stunned top-seed Carlos Alcaraz, delivering his first defeat of the year with a 6-3, 7-6 (3) win on Saturday to advance to the finals at Indian Wells.
The 11th-seeded Medvedev, representing Russia, will clash with Italy’s second-seeded Jannik Sinner, who triumphed over Alexander Zverev with a score of 6-2, 6-4.
Alcaraz came into this match riding a wave of 16 consecutive victories this year, including titles at the Australian Open and Qatar Open. However, Medvedev ensured there would be no Alcaraz vs. Sinner showdown. This victory marks Medvedev’s first against Alcaraz since their intense semifinal at the U.S. Open in 2023, breaking a four-match losing streak against him, including last year’s Indian Wells final.
Sinner made quick work of Zverev, wrapping up the match in just 1 hour and 23 minutes while firing six aces against the fourth-seeded German.
Zverev started strong, winning his first eight service points. However, Sinner snatched breaks in both the fifth and seventh games to claim the opening set, extending his head-to-head lead over Zverev to 7-4.
In the women’s doubles showdown, Taylor Townsend and Katerina Siniakova clinched victory over Anna Danilina and Aleksandra Krunic with a score of 7-6 (4), 6-4. This win marked Townsend’s first triumph at Indian Wells and Siniakova’s second, with her previous win in 2023 alongside her longtime partner Barbora Krejcikova.
Townsend and Siniakova secured the match in 94 minutes, largely thanks to their impressive serve, winning 80% of first-serve points and 82% on their second serves.
