Carlos Alcaraz battles through epic Australian Open semifinal after over five hours on court

By Ben Church, CNN

(CNN) — Carlos Alcaraz has already been involved in several colossal matches during his career, but few have been as dramatic as Friday’s Australian Open semifinal against Alexander Zverev.

Alcaraz eventually won the match 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.

According to the Australian Open, it 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, keen not to dwell on the issue. “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.

Alcaraz will face the second semifinal winner, Jannik Sinner or Novak Djokovic, in the Australian Open final on Sunday.

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