Novak Djokovic stronger than pain: he wins back Carlos Alcaraz and flies to Australian Open semifinals
Australian Open: Novak Djokovic-Carlos Alcaraz: 4-6 6-4 6-3 6-4
It will be Novak Djokovic the opponent of Alexader Zverev in the semifinals of the Australian Open. The Serbian tennis player, in fact, è won in a comeback over Carlos Alcaraz with a score of 4-6 6-4 6-3 6-4, after a match that lasted more than four hours of play, also complicit in a medical timeout requested by the Belgrade native in the closing stages of the first set.
In the first set, Djokovic got off to a rocket start immediately finding the break in the second game, but Alcaraz did not flinch and placed the immediate counter-break in the next game. In the ninth game, the Murcian managed to snatch service from his rival on the third attempt, while the Serb began to suffer a groin problem after an extended recovery attempt. At that point, the Belgrade native è forced to request a medical timeout so as to better check his physical condition. Upon returning to the court, Nole struggled with mobility and Alcaraz took advantage to make the first partial his with a score of 6-4.
The second set developed along the same lines as the first, as the world number seven immediately took a 3-0 lead, but the Spaniard quickly came back in touch at 3-3. This time, forò è Djokovic to play the crucial stages better and find the break in the tenth game, which gives him parity at 6-4.
In the early stages of the third set, the class of 2003 tried to put pressure on his opponent, who, despite being slumped, first saved himself thanks to his serve and then took advantage of his rival’s drop to place the break in the sixth game. Alcaraz, for his part, does not give up and again recovers the disadvantage, but in the closing stages è still Djokovic to be more incisive finding two consecutive games, which give him the partial with the score of 6-3.
In the fourth set, the momentum immediately shifted to the side of the Belgrade native, who took advantage of a mental lapse of his opponent to break serve in the opening set. At that point, the Serbian tennis player defended his lead tooth and nail until the final 6-4, which gave him the pass to the Australian Open semifinals.
