Carlos Alcaraz overcomes injury scare to fightback against resilient Zverev in Australian Open thriller

Carlos Alcaraz is into his first Australian Open final, but not without trouble. In one of the greatest Australian Open matches ever played, he managed to skip over numerous obstacles to defeat Alexander Zverev 6-4, 6-7(5), 6-7(3), 6-7(4), 7-5.

The world number one has finally reached every Grand Slam final, with him looking to complete the career Grand Slam Down Under whilst at the same time become the youngest player to achieve this incredible feat. He completed this in the longest Australian Open semi-final match ever, lasting five hours and 27 minutes. He went from leading 2-0 and looking like he was going to have a perfect record going into the final before injury scares took the headlines while Zverev fought his way back into it. The German then broke in the fifth set before he won the final four games to confirm his spot in the final, with the career Grand Slam still on.

He still has one more match to go with either Jannik Sinner or Novak Djokovic on Sunday, 1st February for glory. For Zverev, it is yet more major frustration. He had played a brilliant tournament and was playing at a very high level throughout his fourth semi-final appearance in Melbourne. Similar to two previous last-four encounters, he will leave without victory as he falls a stage earlier than last year.

It was a sluggish start from both players in the very premature stages of the match, but neither were able to capitalise. Quickly both players got in their rhythm and were racking up the holds, unable to make any inroads on their opponents serve.

This was until later in the set where it would be the Spaniard that would take a definitive advantage. From 4-3 down, he would win every game on offer until the culmination of the first set. The break was the first Zverev had experienced since the first set of his quarter-final against Learner Tien, ending a run of 31 holds. Alcaraz had no queries in seeing it out with a commanding hold to love.

An elongated first game saw the Zverev serve continued to be pressurised by a relentless Alcaraz, but he was able to just about hold on in a game with five deuces and one break point.

Later on, it was the six-time Grand Slam champion under the cosh. He found himself 0-40 down and in a precarious position. He saved two of the incoming break points but could not nothing about Zverev getting his nose in front. He backed this up with a tense hold to move 5-2 ahead, with the set looking like it was going his way.

However, he may not have counted the fact that he was playing Alcaraz. He broke back while Zverev was trying to serve it out, then had two chances to go a break ahead whilst winning a fourth game on the spin. Zverev responded well to this and fought back to hold.

At this point in the match, Alcaraz was in command. He held to love to force a tiebreaker, which was very closely fought throughout, with the lead changing hand from time to time. Right at the end, Alcaraz made his move. From 5-4 down he won three points in a row to take the second set and move one set away from a first Australian Open final.

Zverev needed to keep his head up, with him still firmly in this match despite the two-set deficit. He was playing at a very high level but needed to take that extra step if he was to dethrone the 22-year-old. One aspect was taking his chances on a clinical basis, something he could not do right at the start of the first set where he squandered a break point, allowing Alcaraz to recover for the game.

Three consecutive holds to love was then backed up by another commanding hold from Zverev, setting the pattern of this third set with the score tied at 3-3. At 4-4, Alcaraz started stretching a bit, possibly some cramp becoming a burden on him. Zverev was unhappy with him taking his time at the back of the court, and after the 22-year-old made it 5-4, he took a medical timeout, with Zverev continuing to vent his anger towards the officials.

While this still occcurred, Alcaraz was able to stay in this contest. He went 6-5 up, forcing the 28-year-old to serve it out for a tiebreaker. He achieved this, before going on to dominate the tiebreak against a stricken Alcaraz, getting a first set on the board.

Alcaraz looked to improve throughout the fourth set, with the holds of serve continuing. At 3-3, he went to his team and confirmed that he had thrown up, with more concerns creeping in. He was able to climb over these oncoming obstacles as a second consecutive tiebreak was added into the equation.

As the first semi-final past the four hour point, Alcaraz took a 4-3 lead in the tiebreak. This is when Zverev upped the gears, winning four consecutive points as he won the fourth set with a fifth and final set beckoning, with a place in the final for the winner.

The momentum was firmly with Zverev, who broke the Alcaraz serve right at the start of the fifth set. Alcaraz had numerous chances to retrieve that break but was unable to convert them. Zverev was just about able to hold on, a lot more clinical in the pressurised moments. However, he was not able to convert this into victory.

Alcaraz broke when Zverev was attempting to serve out the match, sneaking 6-5 ahead instantly after as for the first time in the fifth set he took the lead, with it his turn to now try and see it out. He was much more successful, creating the first match point of the match before sending a forehand down the line to seal victory. He collapsed to the floor while the floods of people at Melbourne Park erupted into cheer as Alcaraz gets the job done.