An ailing Carlos Alcaraz said “believing” helped him pull through one of the most demanding matches of his career to down Alexander Zverev in five epic sets and reach his first Australian Open final Friday.
The world number one outlasted the German third seed 6-4, 7-6 (7/5), 6-7 (3/7), 6-7 (4/7), 7-5 over a titanic 5hrs 27 mins in hot conditions and will play either Jannik Sinner or Novak Djokovic in Sunday’s title match in Melbourne.
The Spaniard only narrowly avoided crashing out after a huge fright at 4-4 in the third set when he pulled up in pain with what appeared to be cramp.
He was allowed to have treatment at the changeover, leaving Zverev furious and angrily remonstrating with officials.
Medical timeouts are not permitted solely for muscle cramping.
Alcaraz continued but his movement was hampered and he lost his first set of the tournament, before the pickle juice kicked in and he fought on.
Despite not being at 100 percent the 22-year-old somehow found a way to claw back from a break down in the fifth set as the crowd roared him on.
Germany’s Zverev was left shattered in his latest failed bid to win a major.
“Believing all the time,” Alcaraz, into his eighth major final and fourth in a row, said of how he pulled through.
“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,” he added. “Basically it was one of the most demanding matches that I have ever played in my short career.
“But I’ve been in these kinds of situations, these kinds of matches before.
“I had to put my heart into the match. I fought until the last ball.”
Alcaraz has won two French Opens, two US Opens and twice at Wimbledon, but success on the blue Melbourne Park hard courts has eluded him in four previous campaigns.
Should he snap the drought he would be the youngest man in the Open era to win all four majors, surpassing compatriot and legend Rafael Nadal, who was 24 when he did so.
His efforts on Friday made him the youngest to reach the men’s singles final at all four Slams.
“I’m really happy to play my first final in Melbourne. It’s something I was pursuing a lot,” said Alcaraz, who collapsed to the court at the end.
“It’s been a great two weeks so far. My level is improving a lot.”
Ailing Alcaraz
The first set went with serve with few meaningful rallies, until Alcaraz unleashed a backhand winner at 3-3 to earn the first break point of the match.
Zverev held on but the Spaniard worked another break point on his next serve, with the German double-faulting as the pressure mounted.
Alcaraz served out for the set but the towering Zverev kept his cool and raised his level to earn his first break points of the match at 3-2 in the second set.
The top seed saved two but whipped a forehand long to slide 4-2 behind.
Alcaraz sensationally broke back as Zverev served at 5-3 and it went to a tiebreak, where the world number one prevailed with a scorching forehand.
Disaster struck in the third set when Alcaraz began limping badly.
He managed to hold for 5-4 but took a medical timeout, leaving Zverev fuming, before continuing to another tiebreak where the German made his move.
Despite the problems Alcaraz continued winning points and holding serve in set four as his movement improved, and another tiebreak beckoned with the third seed again coming out on top.
Zverev broke early in the fifth to move 2-0 ahead, but he folded when serving for the match and Alcaraz broke back for 5-5, and then again to seal the most dramatic of wins.
Zverev rails at Alcaraz timeout in ‘one of the best battles ever’
Zverev, meanwhile, said Alcaraz shouldn’t have been allowed a medical timeout for apparent cramp — but does not want it to overshadow “one of the best battles ever” at the Australian Open.
There was controversy when Alcaraz pulled up in pain clutching his right thigh at 4-4 in the third set.
He was allowed to have treatment at the changeover, leaving Zverev furious and angrily remonstrating with officials.
Medical timeouts are not permitted solely for muscle cramping.
“He was cramping, so normally you can’t take a medical timeout for cramping,” said Zverev.
“What can I do? It’s not my decision. I didn’t like it, but it’s not my decision.”
Asked what he told the officials on court, he replied: “I just said it was bullshit, basically.
“To be honest, I don’t want to talk about this right now,” he added. “Because I think this is one of the best battles there ever was in Australia.
“It doesn’t deserve to be the topic now.”
Defeat was another bitter pill for Zverev, who is still searching for a first Slam crown aged 28 after being a three-time finalist, including last year in Australia when Jannik Sinner beat him.
He said he simply ran out of gas.
“Unfortunate ending for me, but to be honest I had absolutely nothing left in me,” he said.
“Even at 5-4 (leading in the fifth set), you know normally I can rely on my serve a bit more. My legs stopped pushing upward, that’s the way it is. This is life. We move on.”
Asked if he had any regrets, he pointed to not winning the second set.
“That one, for me, I felt like I should have won, especially serving for it. I didn’t play a good game serving for it,” he said.
“Funnily enough, I don’t have many regrets in the fifth set because I was hanging on for dear life, to be honest. I was exhausted.”
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