Carlos Alcaraz overcomes Alexander Zverev in longest Australian Open semi-final to face Novak Djokovic | Tennis News
Melbourne: Carlos Alcaraz lay flat on his back on the blue carpet of Rod Laver Arena, soaking in the applause of a capacity crowd. For five hours and 27 minutes, he had battled with everything he had, hobbling on one leg, holding his ground, refusing to give in to cramps during a dramatic Australian Open semi-final. For a couple of hours on a warm Melbourne evening, the 22-year-old Spaniard was on the edge of a cliff, teetering and hanging by a thread he called belief. There may have been two parts to the first semi-final on Friday, but there was always just one winner, simply for the way Alcaraz fought. The opening phase of the last-four clash stretched close to three hours, during which Alcaraz, the world No. 1, surged to a two-sets-to-love lead and looked poised to close the match in straight sets midway through the third. Then the cramps struck. Alexander Zverev, the world No. 3, navigated the delicate task of facing an injured opponent while still holding up his end of the contest with stoic resolve. The 28-year-old German levelled the match and surged ahead 5-3 in the fifth set, even serving for a place in the final at 5-4. But Alcaraz, lifted by a 15,000-strong crowd chanting “Carlitos, Carlitos”, found one last surge. He reeled off four consecutive games to book his maiden final at Melbourne Park. The Spaniard, who will face Novak Djokovic in Sunday’s title match, now stands one win away from becoming the youngest man to complete a career Grand Slam. Alcaraz, the top seed, eventually overcame Zverev 6-4, 7-6 (5), 6-7 (3), 6-7 (4), 7-5 in the longest semi-final in Australian Open history. Alcaraz dropped just two of his 29 service games while striking 78 winners. The statistic of the match, however, was the total points won: Alcaraz claimed 200, with Zverev just six behind. “Believing,” said Alcaraz in his on-court interview when asked how he won the match. “You have to believe in yourself, no matter if you are struggling or what you have been through. 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,” he added. “I just hate giving up. When I was younger, there were a lot of matches that I didn’t want to fight anymore and gave up. Then I got mature, and I just hate that feeling,” the Spaniard explained. “Every step more, just one second more of suffering, one second more of fighting is always worth it. That’s why I fight until the last ball and always believe I can come back in every situation.” Alcaraz appeared to pull up with cramping while serving at 4-4 in the third set. He took a medical timeout but could do little as Zverev clawed back into the match. Zverev, who said he was exhausted and had nothing to give in the fifth set, was upset that Alcaraz was allowed to take a medical timeout when the world No. 1 was cramping. Players are not entitled to a medical timeout solely for cramping. “This is f*#king bulls%*t,” the German raged on the court. “It’s unbelievable that he gets treated for cramps,” he argued. Alcaraz explained that he felt the cramps come on in the third set, but because it was just one specific muscle (right adductor), he didn’t think it was cramps in the beginning. “That’s why I called the physio. I just talked to the physio and he decided to take the medical timeout,” Alcaraz said.
