Earlier than the ultimate main of the season started, everybody questioned who may cease Alcaraz or Sinner sweeping the Slams for the second straight season.
Alcaraz has gained back-to-back French Open titles and lifted the Wimbledon title final yr, shedding to Sinner on this yr’s closing. Now he has booked his place within the New York showpiece with out dropping a set.
He broke Djokovic within the first recreation of the match and threatened to maneuver a double break forward earlier than the Serb served his means out of bother.
It was not a traditional set of tennis, missing absorbing rallies as factors had been punctuated by baseline errors. Nonetheless, Alcaraz by no means appeared like relinquishing his lead.
Momentum switched at first of the second set, nonetheless – simply because it did of their Australian Open quarter-final in January.
Alcaraz dominated the primary set in Melbourne, turned confused as Djokovic upped the depth within the subsequent, and finally malfunctioned in a four-set defeat.
When Djokovic moved 3-0 forward within the second set at Flushing Meadows, there was briefly a way of deja vu. However this time Alcaraz recognised what was occurring, and was in a position to modify tactically and mentally.
Trailing 3-1, Alcaraz ended a brutal alternate at 30-30 by casually flicking a cross-court forehand previous Djokovic, mentioning a break level that his deflated opponent planted within the internet.
Neither participant created any extra break probabilities, resulting in a tie-break the place Djokovic worn out a 4-1 deficit for 4-3 earlier than operating out of steam.
Alcaraz had not beforehand misplaced any of the 52 Grand Slam matches the place he had gained the opening two units.
It rapidly turned obvious that Djokovic, who requested for remedy on his neck earlier than the third set, wouldn’t be the one to finish that run.
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