Daniil Medvedev ended Carlos Alcaraz's perfect start to 2026, stunning the world No 1 6-3, 7-6 (7/3) Saturday to book an Indian Wells title clash with Jannik Sinner.
Medvedev avenged losses to Alcaraz in back-to-back Indian Wells finals in 2023 and 2024, using an impressive service display and aggressive play from the baseline to keep the Spanish star on the back foot throughout.
"Super happy to beat someone as strong as he (is)," Medvedev said. "It's a great feeling."
He'll have his work cut out for him again in Sunday's clash with four-time Grand Slam champion Sinner, who beat fourth-ranked Alexander Zverev 6-2, 6-4.
Alcaraz, 22, became the youngest man to complete a career Grand Slam with his Australian Open triumph this year. He followed with a title in Qatar and took a 16-0 2026 record into Saturday's contest.
But Medvedev was up to the challenge, last month's Dubai champion running Alcaraz ragged in the intense desert heat as he pushed his own ATP win streak to nine matches.
"I just felt like the long rallies, especially when you play against Daniil, that the rallies are long, that you have to increase all the power in almost every shot," Alcaraz said.
"So it feels like you're wasting extra energy after every shot. And with the heat, sometimes it's really tricky to deal with all of that."
After Medvedev needed just one break of serve to pocket an opening set in which he didn't face a break point himself, Alcaraz made some adjustments broke first in the second for a 3-1 lead.
But Medvedev broke back immediately, and his control in the rallies had Alcaraz gasping after one long point in the ninth game.
"The first set ... he just made it that I had to struggle a little bit," Alcaraz said. "In the second set, I started to feel much better. I realised what I have to do. I realised that I have to suffer, and I accept it."
Alcaraz hung on to hold serve for a 5-4 lead in the second set, but he was unable to convert a pair of set points in the next game and they went to a tiebreaker that was all Medvedev.
"He was playing aggressive, and he didn't even miss," Alcaraz said of Medvedev, who raced to a 6-1 lead in the tiebreaker to book is third shot at the title.
"He's an amazing player with amazing shots, defense, attack, serve, return, everything," Medvedev said. "So you need to be at your best – and I was."
HIGH LEVEL
Medvedev's form, after a disappointing 2025 campaign in which he fell as low as 18th in the world, has caught Sinner's eye.
"He's back to very, very high level, very big serve. He's returning very well, very deep," Sinner said of the 2021 US Open champion.
The Italian was delighted to finally punch his ticket to the final after falling to Alcaraz in the semis to Alcaraz in 2023 and 2024.
And he was delighted with his play in his sixth straight win over Zverev, the world No 4 from Germany.
"It was a great performance - very solid from the back of the court," said Sinner, who saved the only break point he faced in a commanding display of precision and power.
Zverev delivered two impeccable service games before he began to falter.
Sinner broke him twice as the German's errors began to climb, and Zverev cut a dejected figure after Sinner pocketed the opening set.
Zverev found renewed energy after fending off three break points in the opening game of the second set, but Sinner saved a break point in the sixth game with an ace and broke Zverev in the next game to gain the only advantage he needed.