Vintage Djokovic Overcomes Alcaraz In Australian Open Thriller
History-chasing Novak Djokovic turned back the clock at the Australian Open for a vintage display that sent his young rival Carlos Alcaraz crashing out as the Serbian steamrolled into his 50th major semi-final on Tuesday.
Djokovic, who is eyeing a record 25th Grand Slam title and 11th at his happiest hunting ground, delighted fans with a 4-6 6-4 6-3 6-4 victory over 21-year-old French Open and Wimbledon champion Alcaraz.
“Best match of the tournament for me and possibly one of the best matches that was played on the men’s side,” said Djokovic, who overcame an early injury to prevail in three hours and 37 minutes, finishing past 1 a.m. at Melbourne Park.
“I’m super proud to push this one through in four sets. Carlos brings so much energy and intensity on the court.”
“He always demands the best of his opponent in order to have a chance to win against him,” he added.
“Credit to him for fighting. I think we both gave all on the court tonight. Hopefully people saw that.” 
In the women’s category, Aryna Sabalenka also had an extended spell on Rod Laver Arena, as she negotiated windy conditions for a 6-2 2-6 6-3 win over 27th- seeded Russian Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova,
The victory kept her quest for a third straight title at Melbourne Park going.
“Honestly, I was just praying today. I was just praying to put the ball back in these tough conditions,” Sabalenka said.
A familiar rival lies in wait for Sabalenka after Paula Badosa defeated Coco Gauff 7-5 6-4, bringing a shuddering halt to the third-seeded American’s 13-match winning streak.
Alexander Zverev overcame Tommy Paul to also go through, but the focus on the 10th day of the championships was mostly on the evening blockbuster that determined his next opponent.
Reuters/Australian Open/Chidi Nwoke.
Comments are closed.