In the third quarterfinal match, Sinner defeated 20-year-old Learner Tien, the reigning Next Gen ATP Finals champion, 6-1, 6-2. After overcoming Joao Fonseca in two tie-breaks in the previous round, Sinner adopted a more aggressive approach to avoid a prolonged match. This strategy left his Vietnamese-American opponent unable to respond.

Sinner hits a backhand during his match against Tien on Stadium Court at Indian Wells Tennis Garden, California, United States on 12/3. *Reuters*

Sinner shared his perspective on the match: "'I think the experience of playing him helped a bit', Sinner said. 'He's a very talented player and will be here many more times. I'm happy with how I reacted to his game. He played very aggressively, especially at the beginning, so I tried to stay calm and gradually break him down'."

Tien's hopes of a first win against Sinner faded early when he double-faulted in the second game, giving Sinner a crucial lead. From that point, the Italian controlled the match, securing his victory in 66 minutes by converting 4 of his 5 break points.

Tien had reached his first Masters 1000 quarterfinal after winning two three-set matches against Ben Shelton and Alejandro Davidovich Fokina. However, against Sinner, the American showed signs of fatigue as the second set progressed. He could not counter Sinner's power and precision in groundstrokes. Sinner continued his dominant run, extending his Masters 1000 winning streak to 9 matches.

Addressing the hot, dry conditions in Indian Wells, Sinner stated: "'We arrived here very early', he said. 'The weather is very hot, so we practiced longer to get our bodies used to it. Today I felt very good on court. I'm trying to improve after the issues I had in Australia'."

Sinner has now won 5 of 6 different Masters 1000 titles, with the Indian Wells trophy being the only one missing from his collection. His semifinal opponent is 4th seed Zverev, who defeated Arthur Fils 6-2, 6-3. Zverev became the fifth player in history to reach the semifinals of all nine different Masters 1000 events with this win. Zverev will aim to end his 5-match losing streak against Sinner in their semifinal match on saturday 14/3.

In the other half of the draw, Alcaraz extended his winning streak to 16 matches and reached the BNP Paribas Open semifinals for the fifth consecutive time. He defeated Cameron Norrie 6-3, 6-4 in the quarterfinals. Norrie had previously beaten Alcaraz at the Paris Masters last November.

Alcaraz hits a backhand during his match against Norrie on Stadium Court at Indian Wells Tennis Garden, California, United States on 12/3. *Reuters*

Alcaraz reflected on his opponent's challenging style: "'I always have a lot of trouble with his game', Alcaraz said in his on-court interview. 'His playing style is a bit annoying. The topspin forehand is very heavy and high, while the backhand slice is very low. Sometimes it's hard to deal with. I have to try to find the right game, play solidly, and attack when I have the chance'."

The first set saw 3 breaks of serve in the final 4 games for both players. In the second set, Norrie took a 2-0 lead before Alcaraz won 4 consecutive games. The 22-year-old created 10 break points and converted 4 of them.

Combining powerful groundstrokes with delicate drop shots and effective net play, the world number one closed out the match in 1 hour 33 minutes, converting his 4th match point. He finished the match with 19 forehand winners.

Alcaraz also shared insights into decision-making during matches: "'Tennis is about choosing the right shot in about half a second', Alcaraz said. 'Sometimes I miss because I don't choose the right option. In my head, I have 5 to 7 options, and sometimes choosing the right one is not easy'."

This victory made Alcaraz the third player in history to reach the Indian Wells semifinals 5 consecutive times, following compatriots Rafael Nadal (2006–2013) and Novak Djokovic (2011–2016). Alcaraz will face Daniil Medvedev in the semifinals, where the 22-year-old leads his Russian opponent 6-2 in their head-to-head record.

Alcaraz won titles at Indian Wells in 2023 and 2024, both times defeating Medvedev in the final.

Vy Anh