US Open 2022, Quarterfinals, Wednesday, 07.09.2022
The top eight players at the US Open 2022 have been found and indeed: neither Rafael Nadal nor Daniil Medvedev, the two top favourites for the title, are still in the running! Will the last Grand Slam of the year get a brand new, young champion?
In any case, Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner will fight for the first place in the semi-finals on Wednesday. While Betano sees the Spaniard ahead, one should not forget: The most recent two direct duels went to Italy, sometimes even clearly.
That’s why I’m taking a close look at both players in my Sinner Alcaraz tip. I don’t want to answer the question of who will win in the end. But I rather rule out that we will only see three sets!
For the first time a semi-final at a Grand Slam, it will definitely become reality for one of the two quarter-finalists. For both Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz, one of the biggest successes of their still young careers beckons on Wednesday.
Who is in better shape in New York, who has the better chances? Nobody made it to the round of the best eight without any difficulties. Sinner was even so unfocused in his first round that he just managed to avoid elimination.
In the end, he won 5-7, 6-2, 6-1, 3-6, 6-1 against Daniel Altmaier. After an outright win against Christopher Eubanks, he came back strongly against Brandon Nakashima, winning 3-6, 6-4, 6-1, 6-2.
Not many had expected his opponent in the round of 16, Ilya Ivashka, to win two sets, but in fact this match went into the longest possible extra time. In the end, Sinner celebrated a 6-1, 5-7, 6-2, 4-6, 6-3.
No question, his performances so far have taken a lot of energy. He will now play his first quarter-final in New York as an underdog, the German betting companies send him onto the court with an average of 2.50.
Alcaraz, on the other hand, is listed with 1.50. What do the bookmakers base these values on? On the direct comparison, probably not. At the Masters in Paris 2021, the Spaniard had won very narrowly with 7-6, 7-5.
The two duels that took place this year, however, went to Sinner. In Umag, the South Tyrolean won the final 6-7, 6-1, 6-1, but even more impressive was what he conjured up on court at Wimbledon.
He won 6-1, 6-4, 6-7, 6-3 in the round of 16! Actually, Sinner should have an advantage, because he has already beaten his young opponent on grass as well as on clay.
For Carlos Alcaraz, being the favourite also means a certain amount of pressure. The 19-year-old has won a number of titles in the first few months of the year, but he has not been quite as ice-cold in recent weeks.
His 1st round at the US Open was not particularly confident, but happy. At 7-5, 7-5, 2-0, his bravely fighting opponent Sebastian Baez had to retire. Alcaraz saved some energy and was able to release it in rounds 2 and 3.
He defeated Federico Coria (6-2, 6-1, 7-5) and Jenson Brooksby (6-3, 6-3, 6-3) easily before the duel with veteran Marin Cilic was on the agenda. For hours, he and the Croatian were hitting balls around each other’s ears.
After a high-class match, the younger player was happy about a 6-4, 3-6, 6-4, 4-6, 6-3. Three aces, 62% won points on the first serve, the service does not exactly run in such a way that Jannik Sinner should be afraid of it.
Italians, it should be known, do not suit Alcaraz at all this year. Both at the Australian Open and at Wimbledon it was a player from the south who put him out of the tournament, and this series should come to an end on Wednesday.
My Sinner Alcaraz Tip
Jannik Sinner or Carlos Alcaraz, which youngster will reach a Grand Slam semi-final for the first time? In New York, both players make quite a similar impression, having to go through five long sets in the last 16.
There may be slight advantages for the Spaniard, but Sinner has won two direct duels this year in very impressive fashion. On Wednesday, in one of the biggest matches of both careers, nervousness also plays a role.
Since I see both players as equals, I can’t settle on a favourite. In this respect, I believe we can expect an intense, close encounter that should end as follows:
We’ll see at least four sets!
