'Roger' Dimitrov blinds Alcaraz

Carlos Alcaraz regrets never having been able to measure himself against Roger Federer, the man of whom he always had a poster hanging in his room. In the absence of the Swiss, the Murcian will have the consolation of having crossed paths with this imposing and unstoppable Grigor Dimitrov, the overwhelming Bulgarian. His executioner in Miami: 6-2 and 6-4, in 1h 32m. Without ever having been on the

dandy

's rollercoaster

, the Spaniard can at least—bridging the always insurmountable distance with respect to the genius—get an idea of ​​how his idol spent his time, because this Dimitrov of fable and vertigo, dagger in the hand of the first To the last point, it is surely the closest reproduction to that adrenaline sensation that the train is coming at full speed and that there is no way to avoid it. The maximum expression of one coincides with the puncture of the other because, after an extraordinary sequence, Alcaraz is overwhelmed. He attacks the opponent, but finds no remedy.

“Shoot him high, shoot him high!” his coach, Juan Carlos Ferrero, insists from the corner. “Cheer up, let him hear you!” The coach shouts, but this time his player's reaction is late and insufficient. Alcaraz is crossed. Obstinate for most of the duel, he only revives in the final stretch, when he has already given up ground that is difficult to recover. There is a feint, but it remains just that, a mere feint. From 4-1 to 4-4 in the second set, but the response is devastating. The Bulgarian warned in the anteroom: “He is playing at an exceptional level, but so am I.” And he executes with the determination that distinguished the great Federer, willing to bite every ball, in every shot, without wasting a single gram of gunpowder. Remaining inside and ruling with the right, he appropriates a victory that brings him closer to the

top-10

and he meets this Friday with Alexander Zverev (6-3 and 7-5 against Fabian Marozsan).

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Compared in his beginnings with the Swiss - a disservice to anyone - Dimitrov seems to have definitively freed himself and at 32 years old is enjoying a second youth, still hoping that beyond that Masters Cup he achieved in 2017, far away now, may experience some glorious chapter. He defeated Alcaraz last year in Shanghai, and once again he defeated him. He captures the plan perfectly. “He was extremely clear about what he wanted to do. Sometimes simplicity is key. You have to hit him hard to keep him at bay. It's like playing cat and mouse, to see who hits first." And so, with a very defined scheme that basically consists of playing at full speed and preventing the Spaniard from having time to attack him, he obtains benefits from the beginning of the match. At full throttle, risking non-stop, he attacks with every return and delivers fantastic blows that immediately poison Alcaraz's mind.

The Murcian (20 years old) misses a

break

option in the first game and immediately finds himself in tow, 3-0 down, stunned because the Bulgarian's ball runs over him and he does not perceive any gap; the inspiration has gone elsewhere. The opponent's legs are two rockets and in the blink of an eye he finds himself against the ropes, cornered, repelling as best he can. He fails to take the initiative and in that circumstance of adversity, the indissoluble winner of this month of March quickly evaporates. He offers no answers, no solution. He denies. From dominator to dominated. It is, of course, a bad day. "I can not do this!". “I have to focus once and for all!” “How useless I am!” “I don't know where to subtract!” Complainant, he can't straighten up and the guy in front of him continues to err and err, putting a wonderful backhand winning signature to the opening set.

Dimitrov backhands the ball. Geoff Burke (USA TODAY Sports via Reuters Con)

Except for a magnificent wrist blow to the intern, very little to rescue up to that point. And Dimitrov, to his own. He knows that his options are to push and push, not to slow down the piston a bit, so he opens up a gap in the second (4-1) and on the other side he still doesn't propose any variables. In the absence of play and service, he finally shoots Alcaraz with pride and after dodging a ball for 5-1, in a game settled in almost ten minutes, he achieves a

blank

break

and bridges the gap. He buys time, but there is no turning point. The Bulgarian does not hesitate—he saves four of the five break options that he defends—and unleashes a final blast that certifies his passage to the semifinals; With the exception of Madrid, he has achieved them in all the Masters 1000. “He has played almost perfect tennis; In fact, I can say that he is perfect,” says the one from El Palmar. And the numbers on the statistical sheet are also expressed.

Dimitrov's authority is reflected in his 23 winning shots and in the harvest obtained both at the net - 14 hits in 19 visits - and at the rest - 27 points out of 59, 46%. “It made me feel like he was 13 years old,” admits Alcaraz. “I told my team that he didn't know what to do. I should have changed my game before, but I think I played well; I haven't found a way to make him feel uncomfortable. Surely, the next time I play against him I will be different, I will try to do different things. I think I played better today than in Shanghai, but I haven't found solutions. And he has done it perfectly,” resolves the number two, who will return home to outline the clay tour that will begin on April 7 in Monte Carlo. He does so having rediscovered himself - after a phase of doubts -, with another Masters 1000 in his pocket (Indian Wells) and the superb level offered until the encounter with

Roger

Dimitrov.

RYBAKINA AND COLLINS IN THE WOMEN'S FINAL

A.C.

The next morning, Dimitrov will clash with Zverev (00.00, Movistar+), the winner knowing who he will face on Sunday since previously (20.00) Jannik Sinner and Daniil Medvedev will take to the court. The first, defeated by Alcaraz in the Indian Wells semifinals, now threatens the second place defended by the Spaniard, who by falling in the penultimate round will lose 160 points in the

ranking

on Monday ; If the Italian wins the title, he will be able to move up a step.

On the other hand, this Thursday the women's final was decided. Elena Rybakina and Danielle Collins will compete on Saturday. The Kazakh surpassed the veteran Victoria Azarenka with 40 winners (6-4, 0-6 and 7-6(2) and for the second consecutive year appears in the final chapter, while the American, who will retire at the end of this season with Only 31 years old, she beat the Russian Ekaterina Alexandrova (6-3 and 6-2).

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