Australian Open: Injured Carlos Alcaraz comes back from the brink of defeat to edge Alexander Zverev in an epic semi-final | Tennis news

Carlos Alcaraz battled cramps, injuries and the brink of defeat to hold off Alexander Zverev in an epic Australian Open semi-final lasting five hours and 27 minutes.

Alcaraz, who is aiming to become the youngest man to complete a career Grand Slam, sealed a stunning 6-4 7-6 (7-5) 6-7 (3-7) 6-7 (4-7) 7-5 victory in a roller coaster ride on the Rod Laver Arena.

The 22-year-old was barely able to move after encountering a problem midway through the third set, which he lost in a tiebreak, and he relied on his sublime striking and placement to reel off winners and prolong the contest.

Alcaraz continued to fight, beating Zverev in the final and will aim to recover for a meeting with either Novak Djokovic, who is aiming for an unprecedented 25th Grand Slam singles title, or two-time defending champion Jannik Sinner in Sunday's title clash.

“Believing. Believing all the time,” said world number one Alcaraz. “I always say that you have to believe in yourself, whatever difficulties you go through.

“You always have to believe in yourself. I was struggling in the middle of the third set. Physically, it was one of the most demanding matches I have ever played in my short career.

“But I've been in these kinds of matches before, so I knew what I had to do. I had to put my whole heart into the match.

“I think I did it. I fought until the last ball. I knew I would have my chances. I was patient in the fifth set. Extremely proud of my serve and the way I came back in the fifth set.”

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