Australian Open: Alexander Zverev beats Carlos Alcaraz to reach semi-final
What's the story
German star Alexander Zverev reached the 2024 Australian Open semi-final after beating second seed Carlos Alcaraz. Zverev and Alcaraz played emphatically, but the former had the last laugh. While Alcaraz was dominant in phases, Zverev's incredible defense was on display throughout the match. The match was pushed to the fourth set, but Zverev won 6-1, 6-3, 6-7(2), 6-4 after over three hours.
Stats
A look at the match stats
Zverev won a total of 125 points, while Alcaraz took away 39 winners in the match. Zverev struck seven aces compared to Norrie's six. The former had a win percentage of 73 and 47 in the first and second serves, respectively. He won 31 of his 45 net points. Zverev (25) had less unforced errors than Alcaraz (45). The latter registered two double-faults.
Semis
Zverev breaks Michael Stich's record
Zverev has qualified for his seventh men's singles semi-final at Grand Slams. He played three consecutive French Open semi-finals between 2021 and 2023. The German did so at the US Open in 2020 and 2021. As per Opta, Zverev now has the second-most major semi-final appearances among German players in the Open Era, surpassing Michael Stich. He is only behind Boris Becker (18).
Information
Alcaraz's first top-five win at Grand Slams
In the quarter-final, Zverev beat Alcaraz, the world number two. As per Opta, the former has registered his first top-five win at a Grand Slam. Notably, Zverev held 0-10 record in this regard before this match.
Information
Zverev 5-3 Alcaraz
Zverev now has a 5-3 lead over Alcaraz in the ATP head-to-head series. This was the first encounter between the two at the Australian Open. Zverev's wins came in ATP Finals (2023), Roland Garros (2022), Vienna (2021), and Acapulco (2021).
Medvedev
Zverev to face Daniil Medvedev
Zverev will face a fired-up Daniil Medvedev in the 2024 Australian Open semi-final. The latter won the five-set thriller against Hubert Hurkacz earlier in the day. Medvedev sealed the match 7-6, 2-6, 6-3, 5-7, 6-4. Notably, Medvedev has reached his third semi-final at the Australian Open. Medvedev has a lead of 11-7 over Zverev on the ATP Tour.