Carlos Alcaraz battled back from cramps and injury and the brink of defeat to fend off Alexander Zverev in an Australian open semi-final epic lasting five hours and 27 minutes.
Alcaraz, aiming to be the youngest man to complete a career Grand Slam, sealed a stunning 6-4 7-6 (7-5) 6-7 (3-7) 6-7 (4-7) 7-5 victory in a rollercoaster ride on Rod Laver Arena.
The 22year old was barely able to move after experiencing a problem midway through the third set, which he lost in a tie-break, and he relied on his sublime ball striking and placement to land winners and prolong the contest
Alcaraz continued to battle away, seeing off Zverev in the decider and will aim to recover for a meeting with either Novak Djokovic, who is bidding for an unprecedented 25th Grand Slam singles title, or two-time defending champion Jannik Sinner in Sunday’s title clash.
Alcaraz continued to battle away, seeing off Zverev in the decider and will aim to recover for a meeting with either Novak Djokovic, who is bidding for an unprecedented 25th Grand Slam singles title, or two-time defending champion Jannik Sinner in Sunday’s title clash.
Alcaraz said of how he found a way: “Believing all the time.
“I always say that you have to believe in yourself no matter what you’re struggling, no matter anything. I was struggling in the middle of the third set. Physically it was one of the most demanding matches that I have ever played in my short career.
“But I’ve been in these kind of situations, in these kind matches so I knew what I had to do. I had to put my heart into the match. I did it, I fought until the last ball. Extremely proud about myself, about the way that I fought and came back during the fifth set.
“I’m just really happy to have the chance to play my first final in Melbourne. It was something I was chasing a lot.”
Conditions were hot on Friday, peaking at 29.8C, but nothing like they had been last weekend, when Sinner appeared to have been saved by the closing of the roof against Eliot Spizzirri when he was stricken by cramp.
Alcaraz’s difficulties were initially not as dramatic, but he hit trouble in the ninth game of the third set having appeared to vomit into a towel a few minutes earlier, stretching and massaging his right thigh as he struggled to push off on the serve.
