MELBOURNE, Australia (AP) — Novak Djokovic refused to let anything stop his quest for a record 25th Grand Slam trophy in the quarter-finals of the Australian Open. No problem with his left leg. Not an early deficit. And not the kid on the net, Carlos Alcarazwho made things difficult and looked at his own story.
Djokovic overcame everything, as he has so often done in his many triumphs, advancing to the semi-finals at Melbourne Park for the 12th time with a 4-6, 6-4, 6-3, 6-4 victory over Alcaraz in a scintillating showdown Tuesday night between two stars born 16 years apart and at opposite ends of their careers.
“I just wish this match today was the final,” Djokovic said. “One of the most epic matches I have played on this pitch. On any terrain.
The action was non-stop, the shooting brilliant, even though the match lasted more than 3 1/2 hours and almost until 1 a.m. – never more, perhaps, than when Alcaraz saved a point. break in the fourth set. . The 33-shot rally was the longest of the night, and when it ended with a long forehand from Djokovic, the packed house at Rod Laver Arena went wild. Djokovic grabbed his troublesome leg and shouted to those around him; Alcaraz, his chest heaving, leaned on a napkin box and smiled.
It turned out that this only delayed the final result.
With his wife, son and daughter cheering in the stands – Dad joked about the late hour that followed – Djokovic, seeded at No. 7, took the upper hand thanks to the kind of remarkable returns and groundstrokes of court without error against Alcaraz that the Big Three rivals with Roger Federer. and Rafael Nadal took care of it for years.
Djokovic enjoyed some of his best efforts in the latter stages, pointing to his ear, blowing kisses or spreading his arms while puffing out his chest. There was the forehand winner on a 22-shot point that earned the break for a 5-3 lead in the third set. There was the final point of this set, which included a sprint back to the net to chase down a lob. Alcaraz also did not hesitate to shout “Vamos!” » and pumping his fists after a particularly resounding forehand in the fourth set.
At the end of the match, Djokovic shouted towards his team’s box, before telling his coach: Andy Murraya hug. Then Djokovic applauded No. 3 seed Alcaraz as he left the court.
“I’m sure we’re going to see a lot of him,” Djokovic said. “Maybe not as much as I would like.”
Friday will be Djokovic’s 50th major semifinal against the No. 2 seed. Alexander Zverevtwo-time majors finalist who beat No. 12 Tommy Paul 7-6 (1), 7-6 (0), 2-6, 6-1. The other men’s quarterfinals take place on Wednesday: No. 1 Jannik Sinner against No. 8 Alex de Minaur and No. 21 Ben Shelton against unseeded Lorenzo Sonego.
This was Djokovic’s eighth meeting against Alcaraz, but the first at the Australian Open – and the first that was neither a semi-final nor a final. Zverev called it a “clash of generations” between “two of the best players to probably ever touch a tennis racket.”
It’s hard to find hyperbole.
At 37, Djokovic is undoubtedly past his prime, yes, but no man has won more Australian Open championships than his 10 or more Grand Slam singles titles than his 24. At 21 , it is unlikely that Alcaraz has yet reached his peak, yes, but No man had ever reached the top spot in the rankings as a teenager before winning or winning major trophies on three different surfaces depending on his age.
Alcaraz didn’t shy away from his hopes of completing a career Grand Slam by adding a victory in Australia to the two he has at Wimbledon – beating Djokovic in the final in 2023 And 2024 – and that of the US Open and the French Open. Djokovic has made winning an Olympic gold medal for Serbia his priority in 2024 and succeeded at the Paris Games last August — beat Alcaraz in the final – and besides, he mainly cares about the majors.
Djokovic had other things on his mind lately: He was angry at insulting remarks made on air by an Australian television commentator and refused to speak to the host country’s official tournament broadcaster on Sunday. Djokovic got the apology he was looking for of the channel and its employee on Monday, and indicated that he was ready to focus on Alcaraz.
But at 4, Djokovic grabbed his thigh and crouched after stretching to shoot. He finished that match but lost it, before taking a medical timeout. When play resumed, his left thigh was taped and Alcaraz served out that set. Anyone who thought Djokovic could ease into the night doesn’t know his game. He began to relentlessly attack Alcaraz’s serves, and soon the second set was his.
“If I lost that second set, I don’t know if I would continue playing,” Djokovic said, crediting medication from the tournament doctor that helped him feel better.
There wasn’t a single empty blue seat in the stadium, and fans shouted repeatedly between points, drawing a stern: “Enough.” Thank you,” from chair umpire Eva Asderaki-Moore.
However, when the ball was in play it became quite quiet, the silence pierced only by the cries of seagulls flying overhead, the squeaks of sneakers or the “Aaah” and “Oooh” of impressed ticket holders during electrical exchanges.
Djokovic and Alcaraz showed off their skills as the temperature dipped below 70 degrees Fahrenheit (20 Celsius) and the wind gusted to 30 mph (nearly 50 km/h), rippling Djokovic’s blue shirt (but not Alcaraz’s slimmer sleeveless number).
Both found shots they had no reason to access. Both switched from defense to offense and produced winners out of nowhere. Both also did much more, whether it was Alcaraz’s well-disguised drop shots or Djokovic’s marvelous returns, including two winners that closed out the second set.
But it was Djokovic who was better during this memorable evening.
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Howard Fendrich has been the AP’s tennis editor since 2002. Find his stories here: https://apnews.com/author/howard-fendrich. More AP tennis: https://apnews.com/hub/tennis