When in a Grand Slam quarterfinal between two players from the high class of the circuit, one feels strange and the other handles the ball like angels, the balance is clearly unbalanced. There is always the option that one responds from behind, that one lets go when one feels lost, and that one who dominates calmly begins to have doubts. This is part of the script for this type of meeting. There was some of this, ‘in extremis’, but it only ended up delaying the outcome.
Carlos Alcaraz, 20 years old and world No. 2, avoided disaster, threatened a miracle from 1-6, 3-6, 2-5, but missed. I will try. It is not a question of struggle, of resignation, as he has shown by putting himself in a position to face a heroic comeback.
But if he used to be confused by his inability to see a solution and constantly evaluates the harm that a sovereign is doing, Alexander Zverev 26 years old and No. 6, he was then submitted by an apparent opponent.
The German put in a great performance. Only by bordering on perfection could one take away such authority from a two-time Grand Slam champion Alcaraz, who reached the semifinals of his four previous ‘greats’.
Sascha Zverev won 6-1, 6-3, 6-7 (2) and 6-4 at 3h.05′, around half past one in the morning local time. With excellence he broke one of his historical walls: it was his first victory against a top-5 rival in the Grand Slam after ten defeats. He has someone else ahead of him in Friday’s semifinals, No. 3, the Russian Daniel MedvedevPolish executioner Hubert Hurkacz in five sets (7-6, 2-6, 6-3, 5-7, 6-4).
And if he wants to reach his second Grand Slam final, after his loss at the 2020 US Open against Austrian Dominic Thiem, he will have to face No. 1 (Novak Djokovic) or number 4 (Jannik Sinner).
A luxury surviving quartet, with the notable absence of Alcaraz, who also said goodbye to the world number one ranking, which Djokovic will retain after the event.
Alcaraz He did his job well in the previous rounds. He showed touch and confidence, ready to aim for the big pot. Nerves at the start didn’t help, and that tension ran high as he ran into a Zverev on top of what was forecast. He has crack qualities, yes, but it’s not easy to get honors at this point.
The impossible happened. Not because I lost Alcaraz, which he has done in five of his eight meetings with Zverev, but the German’s strength, as well as when he was attacked by Alcaraz’s best, saved the KO with a break at 5-3 and the German’s serve for the match. Comfortably, the Spaniard finished off a sensational tiebreak. A masterpiece.
It was enough to demoralize the enemy, but the German remained. He was on all fours in the locker room, exhausted and with blisters on his feet. The way he resolved it was more worthy than when he overcame all in his favor. Amazing ZverevAlcaraz missed his first quarters in Melbourne.
Source: La Verdad
I’m Robert Maynard, and I am a passionate journalist with experience in sports writing. For the last few years, I have been writing for Today Times Live. My main focus has been on sports-related stories and features. With my strong background in journalism and extensive knowledge of the industry, I am able to provide readers with well-crafted pieces that are both informative and engaging.
