We’ll have a bit of a delay before the next semi-final as the spectators leave and the night session ticket holders come in.
So what does this mean for Sinner and Djokovic? Well if either of them goes on to win the title on Sunday, they owe Zverev a huge favour for beating up Alcaraz tonight. “It’s one of the most demanding matches I have ever played,” says Alcaraz, whose brother then helps him carry his bags as he hobbles off court. Alcaraz looks like Djokovic did after his five-hour, 53-minute 2012 Australian Open final against Nadal; absolutely spent. But Alcaraz has somehow got to find a way to play another match in less than two days’ time.
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The Rod Laver crowd has never sounded as loud this fortnight as it does right now. Alcaraz holds for 6-5. And what mettle does Zverev have? The great players go for it in the biggest moments, as Alcaraz did to break Zverev when the German was serving for the match. Zverev was far too passive. An attacking Alcaraz swings his way to deuce here … and gets a match point when Zverev’s forehand fails! And after five hours and 27 minutes, Alcaraz finally gets the job done, 6-4, 7-6, 6-7, 6-7, 7-5, when he fizzes a forehand down the line and Zverev’s volley slumps into the net!
Alcaraz is into his first Australian Open final and is one win away from a career slam. It may not have been quite as dramatic as his great escape from three championship points down in last year’s French Open final, but it was absorbing, enthralling and confounding nonetheless, especially given Alcaraz could barely move in the third set. And also somehow inevitable, given Sincaraz’s slam supremacy.
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Alcaraz holds … just. So Zverev is serving for the match at 5-4 – and a place in the Australian Open final for a second consecutive year. And what is now the longest semi-final in the tournament’s history is extended further as Alcaraz breaks a suddenly edgy, error-strewn Zverev to 15! It’s 5-5 in the decider. AND. ON. THEY. GO!
Alcaraz, having barely been able to move a couple of hours ago because of what appeared to be cramp, is zipping around the court now and has two chances to break at advantage on Zverev’s serve. But Zverev shows formidable fortitude to hold, and Alcaraz must now serve to stay in the match at 6-4, 7-6, 6-7, 6-7, 3-5. You can follow the twists and turns with Joey here. At five hours and seven minutes, the match is less than 10 minutes shy of being the longest semi-final in Australian Open history.
And here’s Tumaini’s preview of Sinner v Djokovic:
Novak Djokovic has insisted that he will not “walk out with a white flag” as he prepares for his latest battle with one of the ATP’s dominant top two in a grand slam semi-final, this time against the two-time defending champion Jannik Sinner on Friday in Melbourne.
“I’m creating my own history, and I think I’ve been very clear when I say that my intention is always to … get to the championship match in every tournament, particularly slams,” Djokovic said. “Slams are one of the biggest reasons why I keep on competing and playing tennis. So that’s all I can say.
“Are [Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz] better right now than me and all the other guys? Yes, they are. I mean, the quality and the level is amazing. It’s great. It’s phenomenal. But does that mean that I walk out with a white flag? No. I’m going to fight until the last shot, until the last point, and do my very best to challenge them.”
This match-up will mark Djokovic’s fifth consecutive grand slam semi-final, a remarkable development at 38. He struggled physically in the final stages of each of his four semi-final runs last year, his body unable to withstand the physical strain of six best of five sets matches. But this year Djokovic has spent only nine hours and seven minutes on court while playing 11 completed sets.
In theory, this is an extremely positive development for Djokovic, who managed to conserve energy across five rounds and should finally head into his match against Sinner in good physical shape. The problem is that despite being in the semi-finals, he has not won a set since the third round. After receiving a walkover against the 16th seed Jakub Mensik in round two, he was thoroughly outplayed by Lorenzo Musetti for two sets before being handed a remarkable slice of luck. A set away from one of the biggest wins of his career, the Italian was forced to retire due to injury.
You can read the rest here:
Meanwhile Emma Raducanu is searching for yet another new coach after confirming she has split with Nadal’s former mentor Francisco Roig after her second-round exit last week. Having got through nine different coaches since 2021, she may be reaching a point where it’ll be hard to attract top names because of the perils of taking on the job.
Already today there’s been a home win in the mixed doubles final, with Olivia Gadecki and John Peers coming from behind to defeat the French pair Kristina Mladenovic and Manuel Guinard 4-6, 6-3, 10-8. Britain’s Andy Lapthorne and Australia’s Heath Davidson were beaten in the quad wheelchair doubles final, losing 6-3, 6-1 to the top seeds Guy Sasson and Niels Vink.
Preamble
G’day all and with Alexander Zverev taking Carlos Alcaraz to a fifth set in the match of the tournament BY FAR, I’m getting ready to bring you coverage of the second semi-final between Jannik Sinner and Novak Djokovic.
Djokovic bristled at what seemed to be a reasonable question after his quarter-final, when he was asked what it’s like to be chasing Sinner and Alcaraz at the end of his career having also chased Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal at the beginning.
“I’m always the chaser and never being chased? I find it a bit disrespectful you miss out on what happened in between,” the 38-year-old said. “There’s about a 15-year period where I was dominating the grand slams. I don’t feel like I’m chasing, to be honest.”
Perhaps he did simply want more recognition of his achievements. Though perhaps his response betrayed a sense of frustration at what he’s up against in this match against Sinner, the two-time defending champion. And perhaps he was also raging against the passing of time, because how he must wish he could go back to his days of dominance to secure that elusive, record-breaking grand slam title No 25 rather than having two young upstarts ahead of him who are taking men’s tennis to stratospheric levels that didn’t seem possible when the Big Three dissipated. The Big Two are a constant reminder to Djokovic of the time he doesn’t have left in tennis.
The story is well-told: Djokovic, the 10-time Australian Open champion, has been stuck on 24 since the 2023 US Open, with Alcaraz and Sinner carving up the past eight major titles between them and the Serb being reduced to the status of the third-best player at the biggest tournaments. Last year Djokovic reached all four slam semi-finals – but he hit a Sincaraz wall in three of them and retired hurt against Zverev in Melbourne.
This year he looks more vulnerable, having reached the semis only because Lorenzo Musetti quit injured when Djokovic was two sets down in their quarter-final, and he also benefitted from a walkover in the last 16. He’s playing with a second life today, and he knows it.
Whether this means he’ll be fresh or undercooked, we’ll have to see. We do know he’s been dealing with a painful blister on his foot, which doesn’t augur well given he needs every bit of movement against Sinner, who does everything that Djokovic does so well but is 14 years younger. With all Sinner’s relentless running and consistency from the baseline, he’s basically Italy’s Gen Z version of Serbia’s classic cyborg.
The players will be on court: as soon as Alcaraz v Zverev finishes. You’re welcome to join Joey in the meantime. I won’t be offended.
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