“I won with a leg and a half”: Djokovic dismisses Alcaraz in the quarters and heads towards Zverev at the Australian Open

Unsinkable Novak Djokovic! The Serbian, 37 years old and world No. 7, qualified for his twelfth semi-final of the Australian Open by beating (4-6, 6-4, 6-3, 6-4 in 3h37) Carlos Alcaraz, No. 3 at ATP. He will face Alexander Zverev (No. 2) this Friday on the road to an 11th coronation in the Antipodes and a 25th Grand Slam.

“I won with my two arms and my two legs, well one and a half legs,” said Djokovic. It was a match full of nerves, ups and downs, reversals of situations…”

From the first exchanges, in the slightly windy night of the Rod Laver Arena, we can clearly feel the tension around one of the most anticipated matches of the fortnight. Especially on the Spaniard’s side, his arm was a little stiff and cold from his first throw in. Trailing 0-2, the Murcian nevertheless quickly returned to the game until 4-4 and the start of the Djokovic psychodrama. A scenario seen and reviewed…

The Serb serves timidly, erases two break points while grimacing then ends up breaking down with a big unforced error… before requesting a medical time-out to treat his creaking left adductor. Opposite, the Spaniard does not tremble and concludes the round with a shutout.

“As long as I’m in the tournament, I don’t want to say what I have,” says Djokovic. I had taken medication, I needed to take another dose and I didn’t know how it would work. »

So, Alcaraz begins to wonder how to dance against an opponent who seems to move less well on the forehand side and shortens the rallies by storming the net with a certain malice. Once again behind 0-3, the protégé of Juan Carlos Ferrero managed to get back to 3-3 with difficulty by trying to make the ten-time winner of the tournament run using cushioning. And at 4-5, in a hurry to leave his bench to serve, he confuses speed and haste to offer the second set on a plate to a totally reinvigorated Belgrade player.

“If I had lost the 2nd set, I don’t know if I would have continued,” he dares. But I felt better and better. I saw that Carlos was a little hesitant from the baseline, I tried my luck, I moved better and the medicine took effect…”

The great science and lucidity of the man with 24 Grand Slams, who raises his voice physically, are starting to make the difference. Deprived of solutions, Alcaraz begins to play yo-yo alone by watering the Australian Central. Trailing 2-4, he broke to get back to 3-4 before conceding his blank service game in the process.

Djokovic can listen to the loud applause of the Serbian fans and does not miss the opportunity to take the lead on a huge defensive point. The Iberian smiles with annoyance… and himself begins to limp, annoyed, as if to tell his rival that he is not fooled.

The start of the 4th set confirms his helplessness. As in the other three rounds, Andy Murray’s student breaks away and this time shows his 25-year-old legs (and his appetite). The games are hooked but Djokovic is not in the habit of giving up. After saving a double break point at 2-4 on a monstrous rally, Alcaraz tried everything and offered himself two opportunities to come back. Without success.

It’s Zverev’s turn, still in search of a first Major, to rub shoulders with the legend… “Sascha is perhaps playing the best tennis of his life at the moment,” jokes Djokovic. But we have an agreement, as long as I’m here he lets me win! »