After striking just two unforced errors in the opening set, Alcaraz struggled for consistency in the second, striking 11 errors to five winners, but nonetheless held on to force Sinner to serve for it out. Sinner stepped to the line and did just that, outrallying Alcaraz and earning two set points, converting the first when Alcaraz erred long off a forehand putaway.
Alcaraz righted the ship in a major way in the third set, racing out to a 5-0 lead with helped from a cleaned-up ground game of nine winners to two errors.
Sinner snuck in a crucial hold, but otherwise it was all Alcaraz and the No. 2 seed secured a two-sets-to-one lead in just under two hours.
Under fire early in the fourth, Sinner saved two break points in the opening game—one with an audacious foray to net—but Alcaraz was undaunted, showing off some remarkable defense and pulling off a 31st winner of the match as star athlete Steph Curry looked on.
Alcaraz kept pressing and earned another break point on the Sinner serve, converting off another forehand miss from the Italian and consolidating for 4-2, putting himself in touching distance of the title.
