Tennis-Medvedev ousts Alcaraz to set Indian Wells clash with Sinner

INDIAN WELLS, California, March 14 (Reuters) - Carlos Alcaraz's bid for a third consecutive Indian Wells title was brought to a halt by a ruthless Daniil Medvedev, who swept past the world number one 6-3 7-6(3) to set up a blockbuster final against Jannik Sinner, who was equally impressive in brushing aside Alexander Zverev 6-2 6-4.

The world number two Sinner fired eight aces, produced 18 winners and committed just 13 unforced errors, eight fewer than his opponent, while winning seven of his eight net points and extending his stranglehold over the German to six consecutive victories.

Zverev showed early promise as he grabbed the lead in the opening set, but Sinner broke twice to close out the opening set before breaking again at 4-3 in the second, en route to sealing the match.

The 24-year-old Italian has not dropped a single set throughout the tournament, a run of dominance that underlines his supremacy on hard courts.

In the second semifinal of the day, Medvedev played smartly to break Alcaraz early and take a 3-1 lead, never relinquishing his advantage to claim the opening set.

The second set was a far more dramatic affair. The world number one, Alcaraz raised his level to break Medvedev and surge to a 3-1 lead, only for the 30-year-old Russian to dig deep and level at 3-3, taking advantage of the Spaniard's unforced errors.

The pair traded blows in an absorbing back-and-forth, ultimately forcing a tiebreak. There, Medvedev was ruthless to seal his place in the final.