Carlos Alcaraz Beats Medvedev to Reach Vienna Final

Carlos Alcaraz closed out Daniil Medvedev with a near spotless tiebreak on Saturday, winning 6-4, 7-6(2) in 1 hour and 36 minutes to reach the Vienna final at the Erste Bank Open.

That is his first trip to the final in Vienna, and it comes against the guy who knocked him out in the Indian Wells semifinals back in March. Alcaraz got a little payback and a shot at an indoor title heading into the end of the season.

How Alcaraz Got It Done

The first set was not perfect. Alcaraz sprayed some unforced errors, but he broke Medvedev twice and gave back only one break, sealing the set 6-4. The second set was tighter, with one break each way, so it went to a tiebreak.

Neither man could hold serve early in that breaker, with the first four points all going to the returner. Then Alcaraz simply took over and ran away with it 7-2. Against a returner as stubborn as Medvedev, that is exactly the kind of gear shift you want to see from him.

The Numbers That Mattered

Two stats tell the story. Alcaraz won 76% of his first serve points, and he converted 3 of his 4 break point chances. Medvedev only broke him twice all match.

Alcaraz also held in 9 of his 11 service games, which is plenty when you are breaking at that rate. That is a clean, efficient day against the world No. 5, and a reminder of why the world No. 3 is still the toughest out in any indoor draw he enters.

It also follows a quarterfinal where Alcaraz needed a second set tiebreak to get past Tommy Paul, so he has now handled two tough opponents in two days without dropping a set.

Who Is Waiting Sunday

Alcaraz will face the winner of the other semifinal between Alexander Zverev and Alex de Minaur in Sunday's final. Either way, it is a big name, and either way Alcaraz walks in as the guy playing the cleanest tennis in the draw right now.

Zverev brings the bigger serve and more firepower. De Minaur brings the speed and the grind. Alcaraz has looked comfortable on this court all week, and he finally has the Medvedev monkey off his back.

My Smacktok lean: back Alcaraz to win the title on Sunday. He held serve well all match, won 76% behind his first serve and cashed in nearly every break chance he got, and that is a formula that travels to any opponent.