In a heavyweight match more appropriate for the final, Novak Djokovic outlasted Carlos Alcaraz at the Australian Open on Tuesday, keeping him on track for a record 25th Grand Slam singles title.
Djokovic, a 10-time champion in Melbourne, needed medical attention while dropping the first set to the third-seeded Spaniard, but he was able to recover – both physically and competitively – by repeatedly breaking Alcaraz’s serve and taking the final three sets.
“To be honest, if I lost that second set I don’t know if I would continue playing,” Djokovic, 37, admitted in a post-match interview. “But I felt better and better, managed to play a great couple games to end out the second set.”
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Alcaraz, 21, suffered seven service breaks – after only losing serve three times combined in his previous four matches in this year’s tournament.
In their eighth career meeting, Djokovic won for the fifth time in advancing to the semifinals with a 4-6, 6-4, 6-3, 6-4 victory at Rod Laver Arena.
“I just wish that this match today was the finals, honestly,” Djokovic said, calling it “one of the most epic matches I’ve played on this court, on any court really.”
The battle lasted more than three and a half hours and concluded just before 1 a.m. in Melbourne.
Djokovic didn’t want to go into the details of his injury, which appeared to be in his groin area. “Since I’m still in the tournament I don’t want to reveal too much … the medication started to kick in and they helped, no doubt. I had to take another dose,” he said.
“I took my chances and started to move better. It didn’t bother me, it didn’t create any hindrance towards the end of the match, only (in) that second set.”
Djokovic will have until Friday to rest and recover before he takes the court against second-seeded Alexander Zverev in the semifinals.
“When the medications start to release, I’ll see what the reality is tomorrow morning,” he said. “But right now I’ll just try to enjoy the moment.”
Alcaraz had prevailed in straight sets when they met in the Wimbledon final last year, but Djokovic took revenge less than a month later when he claimed the Olympic gold medal on the clay courts of Roland Garros.
Already the record-holder with 10 Australian Open titles, Djokovic is tied with Margaret Smith Court for the most Grand Slam singles titles in history with 24.
(This story has been updated with new information.)
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