Martina Navratilova has question for Daniil Medvedev after stunning Carlos Alcaraz victory

Daniil Medvedev’s win over Carlos Alcaraz has put him into the Indian Wells final.

He broke Alcaraz’s 16-match unbeaten run, posting a 6-3, 7-6(3) victory and becoming the first player to beat him this season.

The heat was tough during the semi-final, and the Spaniard later admitted he found it difficult to handle the conditions.

Following Medvedev’s surprising win against the world number one, 18-time Grand Slam champion Martina Navratilova expressed a significant question she wished to pose to him.

Martina Navratilova has one big question for Daniil Medvedev after his win over Carlos Alcaraz

Navratilova shared her thoughts on Medvedev’s victory during the post-match analysis, focusing on how well he handled the opening stages.

She noted that Alcaraz might have benefitted from more variation in his game, while also highlighting Medvedev’s unusual serving numbers – winning a higher percentage of points on his second serve than his first.

“Top players are usually great frontrunners…You have to get off to a good start and Daniil did just that, really neutralized Carlos’ power, returned from so far back,” the 69-year-old said on Sky Sports.

“I’m surprised Carlos didn’t throw up some serve and volley, mix it up a little bit, because Carlos was so far back on those returns.

“But then the second serve return again, Daniil I want to ask him what his plan was because he won 74% on his second serve, that’s unheard of almost, even better with the second serve than the first and get off again to a good start, get those opportunities and grab them right away.

“Carlos just missing too many rally balls, not when he’s going for a winner but just a rally shot, which is unusual for him.”

Medvedev finished with 64% of points won on the first serve compared to 74% on second serve.

He was broken once by Alcaraz in the second set but immediately broke back and went on to claim the tie-break.

How Daniil Medvedev responded to Martina Navratilova’s question about his serve

After the match, Navratilova followed up on her earlier comments by asking Medvedev directly about his serving numbers.

The Russian admitted he was surprised by the stats and even said he was not completely happy with them, noting that he would prefer his first serve percentage to be higher.

“I have not exactly an idea, because usually when you play Carlos you have to be ready that on second serve you struggle, that’s just how it is,” Medvedev began by saying.

“I managed to find a little bit more rhythm on my serve which was bothering him a bit, so you could see that he was struggling a bit if he returns close or far, so I think that cost him a little bit of, not energy exactly, but a little bit of mindset as well. It gave me a little bit of confidence to see that he was struggling a bit on return, so I was just doing what I can.

“But in a way I am a little bit disappointed and happy, because it should be higher on the first serve, but that’s what made me win the match I guess on the second serve.”

As Medvedev prepares for another shot at the Indian Wells title against Jannik Sinner in Sunday’s final, he will likely be aiming for better first-serve numbers while keeping up his success behind the second ball.

Having been defeated by Alcaraz in his two prior Indian Wells finals, the Russian star will be aiming for a third time lucky victory against Sinner.

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