Carlos Alcaraz and Novak Djokovic make Australian Open final after epic pair of semifinals

By Ben Church, CNN

(CNN) — Carlos Alcaraz will play Novak Djokovic in this year’s Australian Open final after the pair navigated two epic semifinals in Melbourne on Friday.

First, Alcaraz beat Alexander Zverev in five sets – 6-4, 7-6 (7-5), 6-7 (3-7), 6-7 (4-7), 7-5 – after five hours and 27 minutes on court, but even that long scoreline belies the drama of a semifinal that demanded so much from both players.

The encounter was a breathtaking display of resilience, fitness and skill from both men, with Alcaraz battling through apparent cramp to prove yet again why he’s the current world No. 1.

Then, Djokovic upset the odds to beat reigning champion Jannik Sinner in another titanic five-set battle, progressing with a 3-6, 6-3, 4-6, 6-4, 6-4 win.

Now that the dust has settled, CNN Sports takes a look at two memorable matches in Melbourne.

Djokovic on history hunt

After watching the semifinal before them, Sinner and Djokovic seemed intent on trying to produce an equally epic contest.

For Djokovic, aiming to win a record-breaking 25th grand slam victory, it almost feels like the stars are aligning at this year’s tournament.

Until today, he’s managed to conserve energy given two of his opponents have dropped out through injury during his run to the final.

It was a rollercoaster match against Sinner, with momentum swinging in favor of both men throughout the contest.

But the Serbian seemed to dig deeper at the end to set up a date with history on Sunday.

“I’m lost for words right now, to be honest,” Djokovic said during his on-court interview, before being reminded of quotes he gave last year where he stated it would be “very difficult” to beat Sinner over five sets.

“I wasn’t wrong,” Djokovic said with a smile. “I said it would be very difficult – but not impossible. So here we are.”

At 38 years 255 days, Djokovic has also become the oldest man in the Open Era to reach the Australian Open final.

Sinner, meanwhile, will be left ruing multiple missed chances to take the match away from his opponent. The Italian won just 11% of his break point opportunities and actually ended the night winning 12 more points than Djokovic.

“It was good match from both of us. (I) had many chances, couldn’t use them, and that’s the outcome,” Sinner told reporters afterward.

“Yeah, it hurts for sure.”

Alcaraz comeback

Meanwhile, according to the Australian Open, Alcaraz’s semifinal against Zverev was the third-longest match in the tournament’s history and the longest semifinal ever at Melbourne Park.

“I always say that you have to believe in yourself no matter what,” Alcaraz said afterward.

“I’ve been in this kind of match before, so I knew what I had to do. I had to put my heart into the match. I think I did it. I fought until the last ball.

“I knew that I was going to have my chances. I was passionate, you know, in the fifth set, but just extremely proud about myself, the way that I felt and the way that I came back.”

Alcaraz was the favorite heading into the semifinal, and the match started as expected as he established a two-set lead.

But the Spaniard began to struggle physically as the match wore on, with the scorching Australian sun seemingly draining the energy out of him. In the third set, Alcaraz suddenly pulled up with what appeared to be an issue with his right thigh. He subsequently called for a medical timeout as he seemed to struggle with cramps, a moment that angered Zverev since cramping isn’t considered a valid reason for a timeout under tournament rules.

“I don’t want to talk about this right now,” Zverev told reporters after the match. “I think this is one of the best battles there ever was in Australia. It doesn’t deserve to be the topic now.”

With tensions running high and Alcaraz struggling, the world No. 3 seized on his opportunity to level the match after winning both a third- and fourth-set tiebreak.

The writing then appeared to be on the wall as Zverev, still looking for his first grand slam title, broke Alcaraz’s serve early in the deciding set. Remarkably, though, the 22-year-old still had more to give.

Digging deep and feeding off the energy of the crowd, Alcaraz stepped up another level when his opponent was serving for the match. He subsequently won three games on the bounce to secure his spot in the Australian Open final, falling to the floor in exhaustion after winning match point.

“I was struggling in the middle of the third set. Physically, it was one of the most demanding matches that I have ever played in my short career,” he added.

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