• Carlos Alcaraz & Daniil Medvedev hubs in on 1st Indian Wells title odds.
• Medvedev is the first player since Andy Murray in 2016 to reach four finals.
• The first Indian Wells title is important to both of them.

Daniil Medvedev and Carlos Alcaraz will not be distracted by streaks, statistics, or even the lure of World No. 1. 1 when they square off on Sunday for the Indian Wells ATP Masters 1000 title.

Alcaraz, a 19-year-old Spaniard who won the US Open last year and became the youngest ever number one, can take over from Novak Djokovic and return to the top with a third Masters 1000 title.

Medvedev, on the other hand, has won 19 ATP matches, winning three titles in three weeks at Rotterdam, Doha, and Dubai.

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

A first Indian Wells title is important to both of them.

Alcaraz said, “I know if I win tomorrow I´m going to become number one, 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.”

In a similar vein, Medvedev will only be concerned with extending his streak and not any historical aspects of it.

He said, “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,”

“The most important is to try to win this tournament and to win these matches.”

In a 7-5, 7-6 (7/4) semi-final victory over Frances Tiafoe, Medvedev overcame a late match speed bump. The 16th-ranked American needed eight match points to defeat Medvedev.

Alcaraz defeated Italian Jannik Sinner 6-3, 7-6 (7/4), after winning a tense first set.

Both Medvedev and Alcaraz said their main earlier gathering — Medvedev’s 2021 second-round triumph at Wimbledon — was no check for this last.

Medvedev said, “He was definitely not the same player as he is right now,”

“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.”

Alcaraz added,

“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.”

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