Carlos Alcaraz somehow reached his first Australian Open final after overcoming Alexander Zverev in a five-set epic.
The 22-year-old was struggling with an injury from the third set and Zverez served for the match in the fifth before Alcaraz broke back to win 6-4 7-6 6-7 6-7 7-5.
It was the longest ever Australian Open semi-final at five hours and 27 minutes.
Alcaraz, who needs the Aussie title to complete the Grand Slam, will face Jannik Sinner or Novak Djokovic who meet in the second semi later on Friday.
‘I was struggling’
“I always say that you have to believe in yourself no matter what you’re struggling, no matter anything,” 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, in these kind matches so I knew what I had to do. I had to put my heart into the match. I did it, I fought until the last ball. Extremely proud about myself, about the way that I fought and came back during the fifth set.
“I’m just really happy to have the chance to play my first final in Melbourne. It was something I was chasing a lot.”
Third seed Zverev was bidding for his first major title after three runner-up finishes and will be crushed by his narrow defeat.
Alcaraz started limping in the third set and appeared to be struggling with a right leg problem. After holding for 5-4, he took a medical timeout in the changeover.
Zverev was demonstrably upset, talking with a tournament official, when his rival was given the three-minute break for treatment.
Even with his limited footwork, Alcaraz was able to hit winners and get to 6-5 before the trainer returned in the changeover to massage the area again.
When he went back out, the crowd gave him rousing support. Zverev served a double-fault to open the next game, and Alcaraz lobbed and then slapped a forehand winner down the line to get to 0-30. But Zverev won four straight points to force the tiebreaker and then win it.
Zverev again took charge in the tiebreaker in the fourth set. Alcaraz dropped serve in the opening game of the fifth set but hung with Zverev, getting five break point chances without being able to convert.
The drama lifted in the sixth game when Alcaraz sprinted across court to track down a drop shot and slid at full pace for an angled forehand winner.
Alcaraz finally converted the break when Zverev was serving for the match at 5-4 in the fifth set.
He held for 6-5 and converted his first match point when Zverev was serving to stay in the match.
