Sawt Falasteen - Alcaraz, Medvedev focus on first Indian Wells title chance

Alcaraz, the 19-year-old Spaniard who became the youngest number one ever after his triumph at the US Open last year, can supplant Novak Djokovic and return to the summit with a third Masters 1000 title.

Medvedev, meanwhile, is riding a 19-match ATP win streak that saw him win three titles in three weeks at Rotterdam, Doha and Dubai.

Now that he's in the title match in a two-week event, Medvedev is the first player since Andy Murray in 2016 to reach four finals in five weeks.

For both, a first Indian Wells title is the goal that concerns them.

"I know if I win tomorrow I'm going to become the number one," Alcaraz said. "I will try not to think about that, just to think about the things that I have to do.

"I have to make everything perfect. That's all I'm going to think about tomorrow."

Similarly, Medvedev won't be focused on any historical aspect of his streak -- only on extending it.

"When you do well and then you hear some of these stats, it's just great, but at the same time I know that it comes with wins," he said. "The most important is to try to win this tournament and to win these matches."

Medvedev got past a late match speed bump in a 7-5, 7-6 (7/4) semi-final win over Frances Tiafoe, needing eight match points to put the 16th-ranked American away.

Alcaraz won a tense first set then cruised in a 7-6 (7/4), 6-3 victory over Italian Jannik Sinner.

Both Medvedev and Alcaraz said their only prior meeting -- Medvedev's 2021 second-round victory at Wimbledon -- was no gauge for this final.

"He was definitely not the same player as he is right now," Medvedev said. "So in a way it's going to be like a first match between us in terms of how we're going to go tactically or physically or tennis-wise.

"It's going to be great fun to play against him."

Added Alcaraz: "If I'm not wrong, when I played against him he was number two in the world, I just started to play on the tour.

"Right now it's totally different. It's going to be, I think, a totally different match."

S.Abdullah--SF-PST