German Alexander Zverevsixth in the world rankings, eliminated the Spanish player Carlos Alcarazsecond in the world, 6-1, 6-3, 6-7(2) and 6-4, in three hours five minutes, in Quarterfinals of the Australian Open.
After his elimination, Serbian Novak Djokovic first in the world rankings to meet the Italian in the semi-finals Jannik Sinner This Friday he will retain the world number one position in the ATP rankings after the tournament ends.
The German, who is 5-3 head-to-head with the Spaniard, became the player to beat the 20-year-old the most times, surpassing Italian Sinner, who beat him four times.
The sixth seed needed less than half an hour to win the first set (6-1), in which he finished with an 89% first serve success rate and consistently exceeded 210 kilometers per hour.
Alcaraz finished the first set with two winners and eleven unforced errors.
What a level, Sasha! 👀#AusOpen pic.twitter.com/I1s19jU9In
— ESPN Tennis (@ESPNtenis) January 24, 2024
The second set showed signs that the 20-year-old’s sparkle was returning, with a stunning volley to set the score at 3-2. However, doubts returned after the reigning Wimbledon champion failed to take advantage of the German’s 0-40 serve.
Zverev won the second set 6-3 and, with a 90% success rate in the first round, in addition to defending his main game with better shots, he irritated the awkward Alcaraz, who had neither reaction nor cleanliness in his punches.
AMAZING INFORMATION, LADIES AND GENTLEMEN! 👀🔥#AusOpen pic.twitter.com/L063kSK2np
— ESPN Tennis (@ESPNtenis) January 24, 2024
The stadium began to empty as the tireless Zverev took giant strides towards victory, but Alcaraz, who continued to keep a smile despite the adversity, was buoyed by the intense support from the Australian crowd that had encouraged him since the start of the competition.
The Murcian signed a comeback after failing 1-4 and 2-5 in the third set and 0-2 in the tiebreak, which ended with three exquisite passes that lifted the faithful, who decided not to go away, to 7-6. end.
WHAT GAME ARE WE WATCHING, PLEASE! 😱💥🔝#AusOpen pic.twitter.com/JqzOqtKnIH
— ESPN Tennis (@ESPNtenis) January 24, 2024
After the third set was completed, the German was treated by a physiotherapist to heal an injury suffered after he tripped in the tiebreak.
Zverev opened the fourth set with an early break, but the Murcian, having regained good feel for his backhand, responded with a counter-break to make it 1-1.
The German was booked at 4-3 for not respecting the time allowed between service plays, just as the Spaniard did in the second set.
Just when it looked like the tie had prevailed in the fourth set, the German’s unexpected break, caused by three unforced errors from the Spaniard, took him within a quarter of the semi-finals.
This time he didn’t flinch and left Alcaraz out of the competition, who returned to Melbourne Park after his absence due to injury in the last edition. The Murcian finished with 39 wins, 45 unforced errors and 65 percent of his first serves, compared to Zverev’s 85.
The stars aligned for Sasha in Melbourne ✨@AlexZverev returns to the JSC semi-finals and is one step closer to his first Grand Slam trophy ✨@wwos • @espn • @eurosport • @wowowtennis pic.twitter.com/WLYySu0iYz
— #AusOpen (@AustralianOpen) January 24, 2024
In the next round the German will meet the Russian. Daniil Medvedevthird in the world after he beat Poland’s Hubert Hurkacz in five sets.
‘This has been annoying me lately, but I hope to change that.— Zverev said with a laugh, saying goodbye to Rod Laver Arena.
(according to information from EFE)
Source: Aristegui Noticias
I’m George Gonzalez, a professional journalist and author at The Nation View. With more than 5 years of experience in the field, I specialize in covering sports news for various print media outlets. My passion for writing has enabled me to craft stories that capture the attention of readers all over the world.
