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The emerging rivalry between Sinner and Alcaraz is one that many in tennis believe can fill the void left by the ageing superstars.<\/p>\n
Few will forget their epic US Open quarter-final in 2022, which finished at 2:50am in New York and featured some jaw-dropping exchanges.<\/p>\n
This was a different type of contest. Neither player found their best level consistently – and rarely at the same time.<\/p>\n
But the match developed into an absorbing encounter where, at times, each man relied on heart as much as their head.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt was one of the toughest matches I\u2019ve played, for sure,\u201d said Alcaraz.<\/p>\n
Sinner, 22, made what could be considered a perfect start, taking Alcaraz\u2019s serve with the two break points he created and twice holding to love for a 4-0 lead.<\/p>\n
By defending robustly and returning with depth, Sinner forced a flurry of mistakes from Alcaraz\u2019s forehand and continued to bewilder his opponent at the start of the second set.<\/p>\n
Another early break put Sinner ahead – but the dynamic swiftly changed. <\/p>\n
Alcaraz, finding better angles and more precision with Sinner not hitting as deep, broke twice to turn a 2-0 deficit into a 5-2 lead and level the match.<\/p>\n
After trading breaks at the start of the third set, Alcaraz could not take four more chances at 2-2 when Sinner struggled with cramp in his playing arm.<\/p>\n
Having received treatment, Sinner recovered to break in the next game before he required further attention \u2013 this time on his legs – from the physio.<\/p>\n
Sinner served out to move back in front. However, a wild overhead at 30-15 4-5 in the fourth set, pushing it wide with Alcaraz stranded, proved costly.<\/p>\n
Last year, Alcaraz suffered from full body cramps in his maiden Roland Garros semi-final, blaming it afterwards on the tension of facing the incomparable Novak Djokovic.<\/p>\n
This time, he looked more relaxed as the match wore on and ultimately raced ahead to clinch the decider.<\/p>\n
“I think it was a great match,” Sinner said. <\/p>\n
“The sets he won he played better in the important points. That was the key.”<\/p>\n<\/div>\n