Jack Draper ended Carlos Alcaraz’s chance to win three straight Indian Wells titles. The British player won 6-1, 0-6, 6-4 to reach his first Masters 1000 final. Draper, ranked 14th in the world, will now face Holger Rune, who beat Daniil Medvedev 7-5, 6-4.
A Tough Loss for Alcaraz
Alcaraz was hoping to join legends Roger Federer and Novak Djokovic as one of the few players to win three Indian Wells titles in a row. “This one hurts,” Alcaraz admitted. “It was difficult today, a lot of nerves in the match.”
Draper started strong, taking the first set in just 23 minutes. However, Alcaraz came back in the second set, winning it easily. The third set was more competitive, and Draper managed to stay strong and finish the match.
A Strange Match with Ups and Downs
“It was a strange match,” Draper said. “Carlos was a little flat at first, and then I lost focus in the second set. But in the third, I was proud of my attitude and found a way to win.”
A key moment in the final set was when Draper won a point after a video review confirmed he had legally returned a shot. “That point didn’t affect my play at all,” Alcaraz said after the match.
Draper had a 5-2 lead in the third set but got nervous while serving for the match. Alcaraz broke his serve, but Draper stayed calm and finished the job on his second chance.
Rune Breaks Losing Streak to Beat Medvedev
Holger Rune defeated Daniil Medvedev to reach the final. Before this match, Rune had lost seven semi-finals in a row.
His strategy was to change the pace of the game and not let Medvedev play comfortably. “If you hit hard to him, he likes that,” Rune explained. “So I tried to mix things up and make it difficult for him.”
Rune broke Medvedev’s serve at 6-5 to win the first set. In the second set, he got an early break and held on to win the match. Now, he will face Draper in the final.
