During the initial stages of his early profession, Carlos Alcaraz has taken pleasure in accomplishing tasks that seemed almost impossible with ease. He has consistently performed at a remarkable level, quickly learning from his errors, and even during difficult times, he has managed to overcome obstacles.
Unfortunately, he was unable to succeed this time. Although he made a valiant effort towards the end, a disappointing beginning from the second ranked player put him at a significant disadvantage against Alexander Zverev. Zverev maintained a strong performance throughout four sets and managed to hold on in a challenging fourth set, ultimately winning 6-1, 6-3, 6-7 (2), 6-4 and advancing to the semi-finals of the Australian Open.
Therefore, Zverev, who is seeded sixth, and Daniil Medvedev, the third seed, will compete for a place in the final on Sunday. Earlier today, Medvedev kept his cool in the hot weather and managed to defeat Hubert Hurkacz, who was making a comeback, with a 7-6 (4), 2-6, 6-3, 5-7, 6-4 victory, securing his spot in the semi-finals in Melbourne.
Alcaraz entered Rod Laver Arena on Wednesday night favoured to crush his lower-ranked opponent, but their history underlined the potential danger ahead. Zverev held a narrow 4-3 record against Alcaraz, which included one of the best matches of his career to defeat the Spaniard at the 2022 French Open.
It was evident early on that Zverev and Alcaraz were both in a similar state of mind. Zverev was swinging confidently while Alcaraz seemed unsteady from the start. In fact, he set the tone by giving away the first break with a poor and mistake-filled service game.
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During the first two sets, Zverev displayed strong serving, skillfully defending from a position behind the baseline. He strategically chose when to move inside the baseline and make aggressive plays. Alcaraz, on the other hand, struggled to minimize his errors and ended the first set with only two winners and 10 unforced errors. Although he initially seemed to improve in the second set, his performance quickly deteriorated as his unforced errors accumulated once again.
Alcaraz finally showed some spark during his final stand against Zverev, when the latter was serving for the match at 5-3. With a fantastic return game, he aggressively approached the net and secured a break point, igniting the crowd. He carried this energy into an unstoppable tie-break, winning the set and forcing a fourth.
Alcaraz turned the tables and dominated the fourth set, constantly forcing Zverev to defend. Despite facing intense pressure from the start, Zverev maintained impressive serving and kept up with Alcaraz’s fast-paced rallies. He managed to hang on until Alcaraz’s performance dropped, securing a thrilling victory.
Alcaraz expressed disappointment in his performance during the match, despite entering with high confidence due to his level of play beforehand. He acknowledged that starting and ending the match poorly is simply part of the game of tennis.
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Despite facing serious charges, Zverev remains focused on playing and winning. Shortly before his first-round match at the Australian Open, it was announced that he will go to trial on May 31 for accusations of physically abusing his ex-girlfriend Brenda Patea and causing harm to her health. This trial will take place during both the French Open and Wimbledon tournaments. Zverev has denied all charges against him.
During the initial men’s quarter-final match, Medvedev appeared to be heading towards a decisive victory in four sets against Hurkacz. However, Hurkacz showed determination and managed to recover from a break in the fourth set, ultimately forcing a fifth set. As the match progressed and the heat intensified, Medvedev began to struggle, but he ultimately found a way to overcome the challenge.
Medvedev has faced grueling five-set matches, extreme heat, and a match that lasted until the early hours of the morning in just 11 days. He admits that after each match he is exhausted, but his team does a great job helping him recover. Despite the challenges, he has been performing well and credits his success to feeling good at the start of each match.
