Medvedev has escaped the “nightmare” and continues his unstoppable year: he entered the Indian Wells final for the first time

With 19 consecutive match wins and three tournament wins in a row, the Russian Daniel Medvedev he extended his impressive streak this Saturday by defeating the American Frances Tiafoe and qualify for the final of Indian wellswhere the Spaniard Carlos Alcaraz or the Italian Jannik Sinner will compete.

Medvedev, unstoppable and overwhelming in this beginning of 2023, defeated Tiafoe of 7-5 and 7-6(4) in one hour and 46 minutes.

The Russian firmly dominated the match but had many problems in the result to put the finishing touch to his triumph when an inexhaustible Tiafoe saved seven match points.

“If I hadn’t won this match he would have nightmares for a long time…”, he joked on the track and after the match on the balls he couldn’t seal.

“But I’m very happy to have won. Now I can sleep well tonight and prepare for tomorrow,” he added with a smile.

After being crowned Rotterdam, Doha and DubaiMedvedev who occupies the 6th position in the world rankings, will play this Sunday his first Indian Wells final and will have the option beyond reaching his fourth consecutive tournament in five weeks of competition, something no one in the ATP has achieved since Andy Murray in 2016 (Beijing, Shanghai, Vienna and Paris).

In total, so far in 2023, the Muscovite has played 26 matches, with 24 wins and only two defeats.

This game, played under the midday heat on a practically packed center court in Indian Wells, he scored the first semi-final in a Masters 1000 for Tiafoe, much supported from the stands by a dedicated audience with the only American left in the race.

Son of refugees from Sierra Leone and number 16 in the world, Tiafoe had not conceded a set in this edition of Indian Wells.

But ahead of him he had a particularly bad rival as Medvedev had scored in all four games so far.

In any case, the young American started the match with conviction from the serve, she took out her mighty forehand for a walk and boldly climbed into the net.

He also had the necessary calm to resolve a delicate moment with 0-40 and 2-2, a mess from which he emerged unscathed with five consecutive points.

With enormous authority and serenity, Medvedev sorted out his shifts to serve on the fast lane and without offering any opportunity to his opponent.

But when it seemed that the set was going to the ‘tie break’, Tiafoe, with some mistakes at the least opportune moment, allowed a break to make it 6-5 and Medvedev he took advantage of that gift stay with the first sleeve.

This blow took its toll on Tiafoe, who lost his serve as soon as the second set began and saw the match go uphill.

By contrast, the very tough Medvedev continued to appear extremely reliable and impenetrable.

So much so that Tiafoe had his first ‘break’ of the afternoon already in the second set and with the 3-2 against, but Medvedev resolved it with a good second serve and continued to command the duel.

However, his first moment of weakness came when he least expected it.

Medvedev wasted three match points to the others and, with the 5-4 in his favor and the serve to close the match, he ended up losing his serve for the first time in the match with a double fault (5-5).

It was now or never for Tiafoe, but soon after he lost his serve with a loveless game (6-5).

Against the ropes, the American returned to shooting epic and he survived four other balls to get a new chance and force the “tie break” among the madness of their fans.

Eventually, Medvedev got the beefier version of his serve back and Tiafoe ended up bowing to the fittest player on the planet right now.