Alexander Zverev and Daniil Medvedev rounded out a blockbuster semifinal lineup at the Australian Open by surviving some wild rides on Wednesday in Melbourne.
Following Medvedev’s five-set win over Hubert Hurkacz, Zverev avoided an epic collapse to upset Carlos Alcaraz 6-1, 6-3, 6-7(2), 6-4 in the nightcap. The German, who led 5-2 in the third to put himself on the brink of a straight-set victory, prevailed after three hours and five minutes.
Trailing 1-6, 3-6, 2-5, Alcaraz held serve for 3-5. That’s when Zverev’s meltdown–albeit what proved to be just a momentary one–began. The world No. 6 dropped serve for the first time all day when trying to close out the match and was eventually pushed to a tiebreaker. Alcaraz finally caught fire at that point and dominated the ‘breaker to improbably force a fourth set.
Zverev also gave back a break in the fourth, but this time he steadied the ship. The 26-year-old earned a crucial scalp of the Alcaraz serve at 4-4 and on his second time of asking had no trouble getting the job done with the match on his racket.
“I was playing one of the best players in the world,” Zverev said of his struggle to get across the finish line. “Over the past two years he has been No. 1 or No. 2 constantly. He’s won two Grand Slams, and when you are up 6-1, 6-3, 5-2, you start thinking.
“We are all human and it is a great honor to play against guys like him. When you’re so close to winning your brain starts going and it is not always helpful, but I’m happy that I got there in the end. I fought back quite well in the fourth set, didn’t let go, and I’m very happy that I finished the match.”
Medvedev also had to dig deep. Like Zverev, the world No. 3 also seemed to be struggling physically after blowing a chance to close out the match. After failing to send Hurkacz packing in the fourth, however, Medvedev returned to his rock-solid ways in the fifth. In the end, he triumphed 7-6(4), 2-6, 6-3, 5-7, 6-4 in three hours and 59 minutes.
“I’m so destroyed right now,” the Russian said during his on-court interview. “Not that I ran out of gas, but I was feeling very tough physically in the end of the second set already. Fourth set I just [had] no more concentration and I’m like, ‘okay, I have to try my best to do whatever I can and let’s see. If I lose, I lose. I go home, and it’s okay.’”
But Medvedev isn’t going home. Instead, he is facing Zverev on Friday for a chance to play either Novak Djokovic or Jannik Sinner for the title.
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