New Delhi, Sept. 6 -- Carlos Alcaraz was about to start a series of TV interviews to discuss the way he used his youth, athleticism and creativity to beat the much more accomplished, but also much older, Novak Djokovic 6-4, 7-6 (4), 6-2 in the U.S. Open semifinals Friday.

First, though, Alcaraz asked everyone to hold on for a moment. He pulled his cell phone out of a pocket so he could check the score of Jannik Sinner's semifinal against Felix Auger-Aliassime. It was still only the first set of that match, but you've got to keep tabs on your biggest rival, right?

A few hours later, Sinner would finish off his 6-1, 3-6, 6-3, 6-4 victory over Auger-Aliassime, establishing the Flushing Meadows final that somehow seemed inevitable, even if ...