Australian Open 2024: Alexander Zverev capitalized on his second opportunity to secure a victory over the second-ranked Carlos Alcaraz on Wednesday evening, advancing to the Australian Open semifinals where he will face two-time finalist Daniil Medvedev.
Despite missing a chance to serve out the win while leading in the third set, the sixth-seeded Zverev remained composed and sealed the victory with a 6-1, 6-3, 6-7 (2), 6-4 triumph.
Carlos Alcaraz, the reigning Wimbledon champion, was the sole player to defeat the 10-time Australian Open champion Novak Djokovic in a Grand Slam match last year. However, he will not have the opportunity to replicate that feat in Australia this time around.
Zverev’s victory over a top-five player at a Grand Slam marked a significant milestone for him. As a result, he secured a spot in the semifinals for the seventh time in a major tournament. In the upcoming match, he will be facing Medvedev, who emerged victorious after a grueling four-hour battle against Hubert Hurkacz, winning 7-6 (4), 2-6, 6-3, 5-7, 6-4.
Reflecting on his previous encounters with Medvedev, Zverev acknowledged that he had faced some tough challenges. However, he expressed hope that this victory could potentially be a turning point for him. He stated, “Maybe this will be it. Maybe this will be the place.”
Zverev’s performance against Alcaraz at Rod Laver Arena was nothing short of impressive. He swiftly dominated the opening set, only dropping two points on serve and finishing it in just 29 minutes. Throughout the match, he maintained a comfortable lead over Alcaraz and managed to break his serve twice in the second set.
The German had a chance to seal the victory at 5-3 in the third set, just past midnight, but Alcaraz managed to break his serve for the first time. Alcaraz leveled the score at 5-5 with an impressive shot down the line, accompanied by a beaming smile and a triumphant racket gesture, as if to say, “Hello, I’m still in this.”
In the tiebreaker, Alcaraz won the final seven points, securing the set and making it 2-1. He couldn’t hide his joy as he earned four set points with a forehand passing shot after chasing down a wide ball, flashing a smile to acknowledge his success.
The fourth set began with both players exchanging service breaks. However, Zverev capitalized on another opportunity to close out the match by breaking in the ninth game. When he finally sealed the win, the Olympic gold medalist let out a scream of relief and celebrated by shaking his arms in jubilation, despite the late hour of 1:20 a.m. local time.
Reflecting on the match, Zverev admitted that even with a commanding lead of 6-1, 6-3, 5-2 against a talented player like Carlos, doubts can creep into one’s mind. He acknowledged the challenges of the mental game but expressed his satisfaction with his ability to fight back in the fourth set and ultimately emerge victorious.