The young player from Murcia also beat the world number one, including a comeback and in the final tiebreak in a huge match for both. Alexander Zverev waits in final
The day after beating Rafa Nadal for the first time in the third confrontation between the student and the teacher, Carlos Alcaraz also overcame another major challenge by beating the current number one in the world at the first opportunity. Just turning 19, the Murcian tennis player went even bigger by beating Novak Djokovic in the semi-finals of the Mutua Madrid Open to take another step in his unstoppable progression, sprinkled with greatness, and get the chance to play the second Masters this Sunday 1,000 from his glittering career, which promises to be glorious. The German Alexander Zverev, who is defending the crown, awaits him in the final.
Including a comeback and in the final tiebreak to add even more flavor to his historic victory over Djokovic, Alcaraz, 6-7 (5), 7-5 and 7-6 (5), signed a victory of enormous prestige against a true champion of 20 Grand Slam titles and 37 Masters 1,000, while Nadal’s heir has only won one of this second category, a month ago in Miami. Alcaraz’s talent, faith, power of his shots, courage and indestructible mentality outweighed the experience and powerful service of the world’s number one, who after his complicated and controversial start to the season was eager to make his fourth title in Madrid and he had surrendered to a rival who sooner or later was called up to take over from the tennis legends.
In a huge match between Alcaraz and Djokovic that lasted three hours and 35 minutes, the Murcian again fulfilled the motto that his grandfather taught him “head, heart and balls” to take down, despite his hasty mistakes due to his youth. a colossus. At the moment, Alcaraz has already defeated two members of the mythical ‘Big Three’ – only Roger Federer would be missing – after two consecutive exhibitions. The game he offered against Djokovic was still of greater value than against Nadal, as although the Spaniard has just returned and is far from his best game, the Serb offered examples of his best tennis in his second semi-final of the year, which he achieved with barely to exhaust yourself, to meet a forward tennis player who has reasons to aspire to conquer a Grand Slam already. His physical strength and his winning gene allow him to dream of everything he intends to do.
In an epic duel, exciting until the decisive point in a tie-break forced by Djokovic by saving a match point with a direct serve in the third set, the Serb and Alcaraz experienced a clash full of tennis fluctuations but above all, emotional, in which the young player from El Palmar enjoyed pushing the Balkans to their limits, driving him to despair with his incredible and daring drop shots. When another was said to have sunk after falling in the first-round tiebreaker, Alcaraz, with a devastating right hand and an impressive physical display, not only withstood the push of the number one, but had the reaction of an athlete who is made of paste really special and once you see him move and dominate on the track you will see you have to sweat blood to beat him.
When the serve that kept him in the game for Djokovic failed, the Serb tried to slide the Spaniard from one side of the field to the other. However, the legs Alcaraz did achieve not only very tight balls that seemed impossible, but the Murcian responded with brave drop shots that stunned the 2,500 spectators who packed the Caja Mágica and nearly unhinged the Serb. The key moment, essential to decide the victory in such a close match, however, came when the tension increased, with 4-4 in the third set, and Alcaraz confirmed the psychological strength of the chosen ones. Djokovic went on to lead 30-0 and as the Balkans headed for the break, the Spaniard turned the game around to eventually win and put the score at 4-5.
Also Djokovic, how could it be otherwise, stopped Alcaraz when the Murcian had enviable opportunities to score service interruptions. So it was the trade of 34-year-old Djokovic that had the upper hand to allow such a fantastic encounter to drag on and had to be resolved with a heavy heart in a second ‘tiebreak’ in which the Serb saved a second ball from the game. The ticket to the final, however, was already reserved for Alcaraz, the youngest player to qualify for the title match in Madrid and, without a brake on his growth, he will become number six in the world on Monday.
Source: La Verdad
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