Alcaraz and red-hot Medvedev set up Indian Wells final showdown

A win for Alcaraz in Sunday's showdown with fifth seed Medvedev would return the Spaniard to top spot in the world ranking for the first time since January.

Carlos Alcaraz, of Spain. Pic: AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill

Top seed Carlos Alcaraz was far from his best but did enough to beat Italy's Jannik Sinner 7-6(4) 6-3 on Saturday and set up an Indian Wells final showdown with red-hot Russian Daniil Medvedev in the California desert.

In a rematch of their thrilling U.S. Open quarter-final that the 19-year-old Spaniard won in five hard-hitting sets en route to winning the title, Alcaraz needed to save a set point in the opening frame against Sinner before reasserting his control.