The five-hour 27-minute thriller was Zverev’s longest match ever and the third longest in Australian Open history. But it could have been over hours earlier.
Alcaraz was superlative in the opening sets. He gave away no break points in the first set, then rallied from 2-5 down in the second set to go two sets up. The Spaniard is yet to lose from that position.
However, there was a massive momentum switch in the third. At four games all, Alcaraz pulled up clutching his right leg. Twice he received treatment from the physio and he tried to keep the points short. The hyper-aggressive mode yielded some points, but Zverev was too smart and his court coverage too great to beat in this mode. The German was better in the big moments as he forced a deciding set.
Zverev held his edge in the final set and was serving for the match at 5-4. But Alcaraz was no moving freely again and produced some outrageous tennis to reel off four games in a row to book a spot in his first Australian Open final.
“Believing, all the time,” said Alcaraz in his on-court interview, when asked how he won the match.
“I always say you have to believe in yourself, no matter if you are struggling or what you have been through. No matter about anything, you still have to believe in yourself all the time. I was struggling in the middle of the third set. Physically, it was one of the most demanding matches that I have played in my short career.
“I have been in these kinds of situations and I knew what I had to do. I had to put my heart into the match. I think I did it and I fought until the last ball. I knew I was going to have my chances. I am extremely proud of myself with the way that I fought and came back in the fifth set.”
At 22 years old, Alcaraz is hoping to become the youngest player ever to achieve a career grand slam when he faces Jannik Sinner or Novak Djokovic at Melbourne Park on Sunday.
