Alcaraz and Sinner set up blockbuster final at Six Kings Slam in Riyadh
Riyadh, Saudi Arabia — Tennis fans are set for a thrilling finale to the Six Kings Slam at Riyadh Season on Saturday, as Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner scored commanding semifinal victories and booked their places to set up a repeat of last year’s final and write a new chapter in their thrilling rivalry.
World No. 1 Carlos Alcaraz advanced to the final with an impressive 6–2, 6–4 win over American Taylor Fritz, stirring the capacity crowd and showcasing his trademark dropshot to devastating effect. The Roland Garros and US Open champion felt in invincible form in the ANB Arena and executed his strategy perfectly:
“?Well I just felt great,” said Alcaraz. “I just felt like, okay, I can pull off everything in the match. So a great feeling, to be honest. So I think the drop shot, going aggressive all the time, trying to get to the net as soon as I can, I think that was a great strategy for me. So, I’m just really, really happy that I was able to do that.”
Fritz struggled to get on the front foot in the rallies and despite improving in the second set could not counter Alcaraz’s aggressive tactics:
He said: “I just didn’t really get the opportunities to really be aggressive and so if I don’t hit a good enough return, then I’m playing the rest of the point from the baseline, inside the baseline, and he hits the ball too hard to have space behind the baseline to actually move to balls and defend. I maybe started returning a little bit better in the second set but he could just beat me to the punch way, way too much today.”
Joining Alcaraz once again in a much-anticipated final will be Australian Open and Wimbledon champion Jannik Sinner, who continued his red-hot run of form by defeating 24-time Grand Slam champion Novak Djokovic in straight sets 6–2, 6–4. Sinner benefited from having already played one match in the ANB Arena, but credited Djokovic’s commitment to continue challenging for titles at the top of the game:
“He is such a great role model for the younger generation. Seeing him competing and practicing and training for these moments is amazing. What he has achieved in his career is incredible. I see him as a real idol. To play against him is a huge honour and privilege. I’m happy about today but I’m also happy to see him in tournaments and see him around.”
Despite the loss Djokovic is still motivated to compete with his younger rivals for as long as his body allows:
?“There is so much to celebrate,” he said. “I would like it if someone could trade a younger body with me. Just for a year so I can try to win against these guys. That would be nice, but jokes aside, I still have the drive. I know it’s becoming much more difficult for me to get a win against Jannik and Carlos. I’m gonna keep on challenging them until it happens.”
The Alcaraz–Sinner rivalry, already one of the most compelling in modern tennis, will now add another chapter as the two young superstars clash for the Six Kings Slam title. The stage is set for a high-intensity battle between two of the sport’s biggest stars.
The final day of Six Kings Slam will take place on Saturday, October 18, at the ANB Arena, Riyadh, with global broadcast coverage live on Netflix beginning at 7:30 p.m. local time.
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