Carlos Alcaraz overcame a leg problem and beat Alexander Zverev 6-4, 7-6(5), 6-7(3), 6-7(4) and 7-5 this Friday (30) to reach his first Australian Open final. With the triumph, the Spaniard kept his quest for a career Grand Slam alive.
At 22 years old, Alcaraz showed concern and had difficulty moving after feeling uncomfortable in the 4-4 score of the third set, which ended up lost in the tiebreak. Even though he was physically limited, he relied on the power of his strikes and precision to find winners and keep the match in dispute.
The Spaniard kept fighting, beat Zverev in the decisive set and will now try to recover to face him in the final on Sunday (1st). A victory will allow you to complete the collection of four Grand Slam tournaments.
Already used to epic matches in five sets on big stages — like last year’s Roland Garros, when he beat Sinner — Alcaraz stated that belief was fundamental to prevailing in the longest semifinal in the history of the tournament, lasting five hours and 27 minutes.
“I always say you have to believe in yourself no matter what you’re facing,” Alcaraz said.
“I was suffering in the middle of the third set. Physically, it was one of the most demanding I’ve ever played in my short career. But I’ve been in that kind of situation before. I had to put my heart into the game. I did that, I fought until the last ball… I’m extremely proud of the way I fought and how I came back in the fifth set.”
The game
After eight consecutive games of confirmed serve in the hot sun at Rod Laver Arena, Alcaraz got the first break when Zverev double-faulted. The Spaniard confirmed the next serve without losing points and closed the opening set.
Zverev, who expressed dissatisfaction with the tension of his racket strings at the end of the first set, resisted the pressure in an initial 10-minute game in the second set and took a 5-2 lead, taking advantage of his opponent’s mistakes.
A strong backhand allowed him to return the break in the ninth game, and the world number one equalized afterwards. In the tiebreak, they increased the intensity to increase their advantage in the game.
The six-time Grand Slam champion reached 4-4 in the third set before he began to feel pain in his right thigh. Alternating powerful and short strikes, Alcaraz made it 5-4 and then asked for medical attention.
An angry Zverev complained to the supervisor, arguing that his opponent should not be treated for cramps under the rules, although it was unclear what exactly the problem with his leg was.
Alcaraz continued on the court, confirmed his serve to make it 6-5, took a big swig of pickle juice and surrendered in the next tiebreak. Zverev, however, did not ease up and equalized the game in sets.
With the movement gradually improving, Alcaraz celebrated with clenched fists, amidst intense applause, after important service games in the fourth set, forcing a new tiebreak. In it, Zverev raised the level of his serve to take the match to the fifth set.
Number three seed, Zverev got an early break, but looked like his best self again by chasing a short ball into the net and executing a spectacular winner at full stretch in the sixth game, rekindling the fans’ hope.
Alcaraz finally broke serve in the tenth game, with Rod Laver Arena ecstatic, and sealed an epic victory in the first five-set match played on Center Court in this edition of the tournament.
“I couldn’t be here right now doing this interview without you,” Alcaraz said, pointing to the audience.
“I’m very grateful for the support I received, not just in this match, but throughout the tournament. I’m very happy to have the chance to play in my first final in Melbourne. It was something I was looking for a lot, I was really chasing, and now I have the opportunity to fight for the title”, he concluded.
