Carlos Alcaraz (right) and Novak Djokovic have already played once when the Spaniard won in Madrid last year
Alain Prost vs Nigel Mansell . Steve Davis vs Alex Higgins. Germany vs Brazil. In this great sporting rivalry, one side brings artistry, flair and unpredictability, while the other excels in discipline and control.
Now tennis is waiting for its own classic example. Novak Djokovic (Order) and Carlos Alcaraz (Chaos) are about to face off in the most anticipated Grand Slam semi-final since Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal met four years ago. , expected to take place on Friday afternoon, goes beyond the contrast of styles.
This meeting is of great symbolic importance, especially since the winner will have a chance to take the Coupe des Mousquetaires after Sunday's final.
If Alcaraz wins, he will beat one of the «big three» tennis legends for the first time at a full distance (best of five sets). It will be a rite of passage, a trial by combat, a moment that says «The king is dead, long live the king!»
But if Djokovic wins, he will again strengthen his position. his aura of invincibility at the Majors, as well as practically guaranteeing a record-breaking 23rd Major on the court, which Rafael Nadal (who was no doubt forever stuck at 22nd) made his own.
If the result seems unpredictable, this is partly because we don't have the data. Djokovic, who turned 36 last month, and 20-year-old Alcaraz have taken turns holding the top spot in the world rankings since last year's US Open. Oddly enough, they didn't play each other at all during this period.
Only one entry remains on the Djokovic-Alcaraz Head-to-Heads chart: a thrilling three-set match, claimed by Alcaraz with its last breath, which harks back to the unique high altitude conditions of Madrid 13 months last year.
The past nine months have been like the second act of a romantic comedy in which two parties, initially fired up on what the directors call «the sweet introduction,» continue to find increasingly unlikely reasons not to meet.
< p>Despite the fact that the delay caused a lot of disappointment, and it also added to the tension before the Friday show. What happens here could determine the dynamics of men's tennis for the next couple of seasons.
Bookmakers have Alcaraz as their favourite, perhaps a surprising choice considering he only has 35 major tournament wins, including his first title at last year's US Open. Djokovic has 353 points.
But Alcaraz is a tempting figure worth paying attention to. Its range of possibilities is so wide that any computerized version of Carlos Alcaraz Tennis (no doubt coming soon) will require an advanced controller with more buttons.
His favorite shot is the short one, especially when he plays on the right hand, and he makes it so stylish and simple that other players have started to imitate it. (ATP stats show ten percent more forehands have been used since Alcaraz entered the tour.)
Then, when he's not dragging you to the net, he's pushing you to the back fence with the most effervescent forehand since Nadal.
It's a brutal combination that completely baffled 2021 French Open finalist Stefanos Tsitsipas during the quarter-finals on Tuesday. Giving up weakly at 2 hours and 12 minutes, Tsitsipas came up with a lame-sounding excuse that he had taken too much melatonin — the sleep hormone — earlier in the day.
Earlier that afternoon, Djokovic saw off Russian Karen Khachanov in four sets . Although it was a mixed performance, in the middle of Djokovic's 4-6, 7-6, 6-2, 6-4 victory, at least an hour had passed with him in control of the ball from a distance.
Usually this purple patch started with a tiebreak, which he won 7-0. Djokovic's greatest gift is knowing when to focus fully. During this tournament, he pulled off five tie-breaks without making a single unforced error.
Hence the expectation of a clash of cultures on Friday, when a smiling magician faces the most cold-blooded executioner of this or any other era.
If the match ended quickly, it probably means that Alcaraz crushed Djokovic with his extraordinary attacking repertoire. If it's long enough, you can imagine Djokovic slowly strangling his young opponent with a tennis response to a crocodile roll.
It's been at least ten years since we started asking about a possible «changing of the guard». in men's tennis. Djokovic has done more than anyone else to ensure the citadel was never truly breached.
But in Alcaraz he faces a hungry and fearless young foe whom John McEnroe called «the best of 20″ last week. the best.» -years old I have ever seen.» So while Friday's meeting may not be the final, it still feels like the most important match of the year.
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