Carlos Alcaraz delivered arguably the greatest performance of his career as he came back from the brink numerous times to defeat Alexander Zverev in the longest ever Australian Open semi-final on Friday.
In a match that lasted a record five hours and 27 minutes, Alcaraz prevailed 6-4, 7-6(5), 6-7(3), 6-7(4), 7-5 to reach the final at Melbourne Park.
Alcaraz not only aced the grueling test but did so while managing a leg issue, keeping his career Grand Slam hopes alive by winning the third-longest match in Australian Open history.
"I always say that you have to believe in yourself, no matter what, no matter you're struggling, you've been through, no matter anything. You have still got to believe in yourself all the time," Alcaraz said.
"I was struggling in the middle of the third set. Physically, it was one of the most demanding matches that I have ever played in my short career.
"But I've been in these kind of situations. I've been in these kind of matches before, so I knew what I had to do. I had to put my heart into the match. I think I did it. I fought until the last ball."
The Spaniard, 22, struggled to move after experiencing a problem midway through the third set, which he lost in a tiebreak. He had to rely on his ball-striking and placement to land winners and take the contest deep into the fifth set once it became clear he would need time to recover during the match.
After eight straight holds of serve at the Rod Laver Arena, Alcaraz was gifted the opening break when Zverev produced a double fault, and the Spaniard won the next game and secured the opening set.
In the second set, Zverev kept his cool to a gain 5-2 lead as Alcaraz conceded several loose points.
But a backhand bullet helped Alcaraz break back in the ninth game, and the World No1 went level in the next, before he raised the bar in the tiebreak to double his lead.
The six-times Grand Slam champion then battled to 4-4 in the third set before he started experiencing problems in his right thigh.
Alcaraz went up 5-4 before taking a medical timeout. Zverev complained his opponent should not be allowed to receive treatment for cramp. However, the issue seemed more serious than a cramp.
Alcaraz battled on, powered by some pickle juice, but Zverev was in his stride and won the set.
Alcaraz started to move better and forced another tiebreak in the fourth set. But Zverev stepped up his serving game to force a deciding fifth set.
There, Zverev broke for an early lead but Alcaraz began to operate at close to full capacity. Alcaraz finally broke in the 10th game before completing an unforgettable win.
