Carlos Alcaraz advanced to his maiden Australian Open final in dramatic fashion on Friday afternoon, when he overcame physical problems and rallied from the brink to secure a marathon semi-final win against Alexander Zverev.
The No. 1 player in the PIF ATP Rankings, Alcaraz overcame World No. 3 Zverev 6-4, 7-6(5), 6-7(3), 6-7(4), 7-5 after a pulsating five hours, 27 minutes inside Rod Laver Arena, the longest semi-final in tournament history. After appearing to recover from the upper right leg injury that hampered him from late in the third set, the Spaniard rallied from 3-5 in the decider and collapsed to the ground in ecstasy after sealing his first final appearance in Melbourne. He will take on Jannik Sinner or Novak Djokovic on Sunday for the trophy.
“Believing, all the time,” said Alcaraz in his on-court interview, when asked how he won the match. “I always say you have to believe in yourself, no matter if you are struggling or what you have been through. No matter about anything, you still have to believe in yourself all the time. I was struggling in the middle of the third set. Physically it was one of the most demanding matches that I have played in my short career.
“I have been in these kinds of situations and I knew what I had to do. I had to put my heart into the match. I think I did it and I fought until the last ball. I knew I was going to have my chances. I am extremely proud of myself with the way that I fought and came back in the fifth set.”
With his victory, Alcaraz moved within one win of becoming the youngest man to complete the Career Grand Slam (winning the singles title at all four majors). Standing between Alcaraz and that piece of history, however, is a heavyweight showdown with one of his great rivals. World No. 2 Sinner is the two-time defending champion at Melbourne Park, while Djokovic is a record 10-time Australian Open titlist.
“I am really happy to play my first final in Melbourne,” Alcaraz said. “It was something I was chasing a lot, pursuing a lot. Having the chance to fight for the title. I think it has been a great tournament so far and my level is increasing a lot. But one thing I think I am going to say is I could not be here doing this interview right now without [the fans]. It was a pleasure playing in front of all of you. The way you pushed me back in the match… I am really grateful for the support.”
Alcaraz won 78 per cent (35/45) of points at the net in his epic win, according to Infosys Stats. The 22-year-old is now 15-1 in fifth sets, while he has also taken a 7-6 lead in his Lexus ATP Head2Head series with Zverev. Meanwhile Friday’s agonising defeat leaves the 28-year-old Zverev still chasing his maiden Grand Slam title.
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Alcaraz, who had not dropped a set across his opening five matches in Melbourne, appeared on course to maintain his perfect run after opening a two-set lead against Zverev. The top seed produced typically classy tennis when he needed it most, particularly when he rallied from 2-5 to clinch the second set.
It was at 4-4, 15/15 in the third set when the real drama began. Alcaraz appeared to pull up and struggle with an upper right leg injury when serving at 4-4 in the third set. He twice received treatment from the tournament physio, and he was unable to stop Zverev from clawing his way back into the match from there.
Alcaraz’s approach of playing ultra aggressively to shorten rallies was competitive, but appeared to not be enough. Zverev broke his opponent’s serve in the opening game of the deciding set and, after fending off five break points across three of his service games, was soon serving for the match at 5-4.
Then came Alcaraz’s scarcely believable comeback. Moving freely again, the Spaniard reeled off four games in a row to stun his rival and become the youngest man to reach the final at all four Grand Slams. On match point, Alcaraz powered a forehand low into the encroaching Zverev, before falling to his back in ecstasy as the German’s volley dropped into the net.
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