Carlos Alcaraz survived an epic battle against Alexander Zverev on Friday to reach his first Australian Open final, edging closer to becoming the youngest man in the Open Era to complete a career Grand Slam.
Gatekeepers News reports that the world number one triumphed 6-4, 7-6 (7/5), 6-7 (3/7), 6-7 (4/7), 7-5 in a marathon 5 hours and 27 minutes under scorching conditions. He will face either Jannik Sinner or Novak Djokovic in Sunday’s title match.
Alcaraz’s path to victory was threatened in the third set when he pulled up at 4-4 with what appeared to be cramp. He was allowed medical treatment at the changeover, provoking fury from Zverev, who argued that timeouts are not allowed solely for muscle cramps.
Despite being hampered, Alcaraz fought on and lost his first set of the tournament before recovering, crediting his resilience and belief for getting through the ordeal.
“Believing all the time,” Alcaraz said. “I always say that you have to believe in yourself no matter what, no matter what struggles you’ve been through, you’ve gotta still believe in yourself all the time. I was struggling in the middle of the third set. Basically it was one of the most demanding matches that I have ever played in my short career.”
Alcaraz, 22, has previously won two French Opens, two US Opens, and two Wimbledons, but Melbourne Park has eluded him in four attempts. A win would make him the youngest man in the Open Era to capture all four majors, surpassing compatriot Rafael Nadal, who achieved the feat at 24.
The match saw numerous twists: the first set remained tight until Alcaraz earned a break point at 3-3, eventually taking the set. In the second, Zverev earned break points, only for Alcaraz to break back at 5-3 and clinch the set in a tense tiebreak.
Disaster struck at 4-4 in the third set as Alcaraz began limping. He managed to hold serve before taking a medical timeout, and Zverev capitalised in a tiebreak. Alcaraz gradually recovered, winning the fourth set in another tiebreak.
In the fifth set, Zverev broke early and even served for the match, but Alcaraz broke back to level at 5-5, then again to seal a remarkable victory. The crowd roared as the Spaniard sealed a win that tested every ounce of his skill and stamina.
