'Injured' Carlos Alcaraz Outlasts Alexander Zverev In 5-Hour Thriller, Enters Australian Open Final
Carlos Alcaraz won a five-set thriller against Alexander Zverev with a score of 6-4 7-6 6-7 6-7 7-5 to reach his first Australian Open final.
- Carlos Alcaraz defeated Alexander Zverev in a five-hour Australian Open semi-final
- Alcaraz won with a score of 6-4, 7-6, 6-7, 6-7, 7-5 to reach his maiden Australian Open final
- Alcaraz suffered a right thigh and groin injury, causing a medical time-out during the match
In a battle that will be etched into the history books of Melbourne Park, World No. 1 Carlos Alcaraz overcame a mid-match injury scare to defeat Alexander Zverev in a five-hour semi-final epic on Friday. With a final score of 6-4, 7-6(5), 6-7(3), 6-7(4), 7-5, the 22-year-old Spaniard has advanced to his maiden Australian Open final, moving one step closer to becoming the youngest man to complete a career Grand Slam. The match began with Alcaraz appearing in total control, taking the first set 6-4 and edging a high-stakes second-set tie-break. However, the momentum shifted dramatically in the third set when Alcaraz began clutching his right thigh and groin.
Overcoming Mid-Match Injury
As Alcaraz called for a medical time-out to treat what appeared to be severe cramping and a leg strain, the match was briefly halted. This led to a heated confrontation between Zverev and chair umpire Marijana Veljovic.
The German was visibly furious, shouting that players are not permitted medical time-outs for cramps. Alcaraz argued that a medical time-out isn't fair, considering Alcaraz was only battling cramps.
Zverev, sensing a physical advantage, outmuscled Alcaraz in back-to-back tie-breaks to force a fifth set. The German even broke early in the decider to lead 3-1, but Alcaraz refused to give up, putting all his might and willingness to win to force a comeback that no tennis fan had imagined.
Feeding off the energy of a thunderous Rod Laver Arena, Alcaraz broke back to level at 5-5 before capitalising on a series of Zverev unforced errors to seal the match. Zverev, at this point, wasn't just fighting his opponent, Alcaraz, but also his mind, which had refused to believe what happened on the court.
Carlos Alcaraz will now face the winner of the second semi-final between Novak Djokovic and Jannik Sinner. Should he win on Sunday, he will secure his place in history as only the eighth man in the Open Era to win all four Major titles.