Novak Djokovic came back from a set down to beat new rival Carlos Alcaraz 4-6 6-4 6-3 6-4 at 12.57am to reach the semi-finals of the Australian Open.
In the latest chapter of a generational rivalry that has played out on the biggest stages, including the gold medal match at last year’s Paris Olympics, it was the 37-year-old Djokovic who maintained his hard-court dominance over Alcaraz to reach a landmark 50th Grand Slam Semifinal against Alexander Zverez.
Coach Andy Murray, sitting courtside, also deserves credit because it was a tactical triumph as Djokovic overcame his opponent’s firepower and spirit before the 21-year-old rallied in a spectacular match.
The loss was a blow for Alcaraz as the French Open and Wimbledon champion’s bid to become the youngest man to complete a career Grand Slam went up in flames and he suffered his third loss to Djokovic on the surface .
“First I want to express my utmost respect and admiration for Carlos and everything he stands for – and what he has achieved so far in his young career,” Djokovic said.
“What a great guy he is and an even better competitor… I wish this match today was the final, honestly.
“It’s one of the most epic games I’ve played on this pitch – on any pitch, really.”
A potential concern for Djokovic is a left foot problem that required treatment during the opening set, but he appeared to improve physically as the match went on.
“Since I’m still on tour, I don’t want to reveal too much,” he said. “Medication started to kick in and it helped, no doubt.
“If I had lost the second set, I don’t know if I would have continued to play. But I felt better and better and played some great matches to take the second set.
“I saw that Carlos was a bit hesitant from the back of the field and I took my chances, I started to feel better and move better.
“When the medication wears off, I’ll see what the reality is tomorrow morning. But for now I’ll try to be in the moment and enjoy this win.”
Both men took some time to settle into the race in cool and windy conditions.
Despite an incredible volley winner, Alcaraz broke serve in the second game amid a flurry of errors, only to come straight back, hitting a backhand winner down the line.
The contest then continued routinely until the ninth game, when, after a long rally at 15-15, Djokovic bowed and shook his head slightly towards his box.
He managed to save two break points but not a third and was hurried off the court for a medical timeout.
He returned with a visible strap on his left thigh and Alcaraz served for the set, but Djokovic showed positive signs early in the second game, taking the fight to his new opponent and opening up a 3-0 lead.
It was a scrappy contest, with some moments of brilliance from both players but plenty of errors, and it was Alcaraz who came back to level the match as Djokovic limped around the court.
But the Serb has won the title here on more than one occasion despite being physically compromised and he produced a superb return game to break serve again and take the set.
Djokovic had found a real groove on his groundstrokes and especially on the return, piling the pressure on an increasingly frustrated Alcaraz.
He hit at 2-3 only to hit a straight back but the Spaniard was yelling at himself again as Djokovic scored a third break in a row, sending a dart forward into the corner and then putting his finger to his ear as he absorbed the cheers.
The 37-year-old had remained remarkably calm, but he led his orchestra once again after coming from 0-30 down to clinch the set.
Alcaraz looked clueless and another break early in the fourth pushed him closer to the exit but, on the ropes, the Spaniard punched back.
A pulsating 33-shot rally that left both men barely standing helped him save a virtual match point at 2-4 15-40, but Alcaraz could not break Djokovic’s serve and the 37-year-old roared satisfied after a final blow. from the Spaniard hit the net.
“Phenomenal performance from Djokovic”
Tim Henman, speaking on Eurosport:
“An absolutely phenomenal performance! After losing the first set he was really looking down and out – struggling with injuries, but as the match went on he only got stronger and stronger.
“The quality of both players was exceptional.
“Djokovic really showed his experience. I think a lot of people, when they were struggling with an injury, would have been distracted.
“But actually he was clear in his mind about the way he had to play, which was even more aggressive – and he was still counting down the unforced error.
“He was the best player on the night.”
Earlier, Zverev reached his third Australian Open semi-final with a four-set victory over American Tommy Paul.
The second seed, who is bidding for a first Grand Slam title, had lost both of his previous meetings against Paul but proved stronger in the big moments to win 7-6 (7-1) 7-6 (7-0) 2. -6 6-1.
Paul, ranked 12th, served for both the first and second sets, but Zverev broke on each occasion and played two superb tie-breaks.
“I feel like I stole both sets in a way because he was playing better than me,” Zverev said.
“In the tie-break I played pretty well. He probably missed a bit more than he should have. I’m happy I won in four sets because it was tough.”
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