Debris Swirls as 60km/h Winds Cause Chaos at Indian Wells

Daniil Medvedev has secured his spot in the semi-finals at Indian Wells for the third year running, triumphing over 20-year-old French talent Arthur Fils with a hard-fought scoreline of 6-4, 2-6, 7-6(7).

The 29-year-old Russian, who is the fifth seed, took two hours and 25 minutes to keep his hopes alive for a third final appearance at this event.

The match experienced a brief interruption during the third set due to strong winds that swept debris across the stadium.

With gusts reaching 60km/h, Fils had to secure a drink cooler from being blown away.

At the same time, Fils struggled to keep his hat on, but ultimately managed to hold onto it.

Carlos Alcaraz, aiming to become the first man since Novak Djokovic in 2016 to win three consecutively at Indian Wells, comfortably defeated Grigor Dimitrov 6-1, 6-1.

While other players struggled with the challenging conditions, the Spaniard found the wind advantageous.

“I always say that I enjoy playing in the wind, in these conditions. I feel I adapt incredibly well,” he remarked.

“I believe that to compete in such powerful winds, you need to trust in your physical capabilities and have confidence that you can reach every ball.

“That was my mindset during the match. I think Grigor plays more aggressively when given less time, which is why I feel I adapted better to the conditions today.”