In, perhaps, the biggest shock of the tournament, so far, second-seed Carlos Alcaraz crashed out of the Australian Open 2024 at the quarter-finals stage following a four-set loss to sixth-seed Alexander Zverev. The German, meanwhile, moves on to the semi-finals, where he will clash with third-seed Daniil Medvedev, with the winner of the tie playing either Novak Djokovic or Jannik Sinner in the final. (More Tennis News)
Zverev took little time to race clear, establishing a two-set lead over his younger opponent; he won the first set 6-1, barely allowing Alcaraz the chance to settle into the match, while he won the second 6-3. The sixth-ranked player in the tournament then took a 5-2 lead in the third set and seemed to be heading toward a comfortable victory, only for Alcaraz to bounce back from near-dead. The 20-year-old dragged Zverev to a tie-breaker, which he then won 7-2.
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Momentum on his side, Alcaraz attempted to race out of the box in the fourth set but met an equally defiant Zverev, who returned everything the Spaniard picked from his arsenal to throw at him with similar aplomb. The crucial break came in the ninth game of the set, with the German, who led his opponent 7-5 in terms of Break Points, gaining the upper hand, before converting his advantage into a victory a game later. He won the match 6-1, 6-3, 6-7 (2-7), 6-4.
Speaking on the courtside after the match, Zverev had this to say: “I’m playing one of the best players in the world. Especially over the last two years. He’s been number one or number two. He’s won two grand slams. When you’re up 6-1 6-3 5-2 you start thinking. We’re all human. It’s a great honour to play guys like him. When you start winning, your brain starts going. It’s not always helpful… very happy to have finished the match.”
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Alcaraz's wait for a third Grand Slam title, and a first in Australia, meanwhile, goes on. Zverev, who remains without one, however, has matched his best performance in Australia by reaching the semi-final; he had previously reached the same stage in 2020 before exiting.
