No way: Jannik Sinner lost the semi-final to Indian Wells Masters 1000. Fly to the final Carlos Alcaraz, who wins 7-6 6-3 in an hour and 52′ and will now attempt the streak of 19 consecutive wins of Daniel Medvedev, which after Rotterdam, Doha and Dubai is also ready to triumph in the Californian desert. The final reached by Sinner in Miami Masters 1000 two years ago it remains the only one for now: after a very tight first set, in which blue had also had a set point, in the second the Spaniard – who can go back to number one in the world if he wins the tournament – immediately started .

With Sinner can be comforted won two positions in the ranking (from number 13 he will rise to 11) and with an increasingly dense level compared to the strongest. But there is still a way to go. In two, Sinner and Alcaraz make 40 years, but they have given them since the first exchange. Carlos made the first draw (3-2), but Jannik’s skill was to hold on to the set, waiting for an empty pass from the Spaniard, who arrived punctually in the eighth game, to win nil against the Italian. On 6-5 30-30, very delicate moment from which Alcaraz came out with an ace: he lost the first ball to go to the tiebreak with a long forehand, but on the set point for Sinner Carlos opted for the short ball. Sinner got there fine, but instead of crossing, he went down the line, going his trajectory. In the decisive game luck did not help Sinner, penalized by the tape; when, at 5-4 to Alcaraz, a moment of uncertainty for Jannik, who was in no man’s land, reached out his forehand and gave his rival two set points, the first of which was good to lead the game, despite Sinner scoring more points ( 41-40).

Alcaraz – that it will close at 72% primeagainst Sinner’s 50% – he reached parity in the second game of the second set with a forehand down the line on the verge of the impossible, then with another gear he earned immediately the break ball, transformed thanks to a mistake by Sinner. Prediction games that went three (4-1) after the best substitution of the game ended with Alcaraz’s lob bouncing off the line. Even the voice of can be heard in the microphones Simone Vagnozzi, Sinner’s coach: “If you’re wrong, it doesn’t matter, go get it”. But Alcaraz is a machine: Jannik saved three balls from the 1-5, kept his head above water as long as possible, but finally gave up.