The world’s second-ranked player, Carlos Alcaraz, was upset by sixth seed Alexander Zverev in a thrilling four-set match in the Australian Open quarterfinals. At the Rod Laver Arena in Melbourne early on Thursday, Germany’s Zverev crushed the tournament’s audience favorite Alcaraz 6-4 in straight sets. In Melbourne Park, the German player dominated Alcaraz 6-1, 6-3, 7-6(7-2); he took the match from the start and dominated the first two sets with a show of strength against the World No. 2 Spaniard.
Alexander Zverev beats Carlos Alcaraz in Australian Open
Zverev was especially impressive when it came to serving; he made precise first serve landings the entire time. His aggressive style of play paid off, as he was able to capitalize on Alcaraz’s errors.After suffering lopsided losses in the opening two sets, the Spaniard mounted a valiant return to win the third set 7-6(2). The world number two seemed to be back in the match for once, but Zverev’s outstanding performance in the fourth set ensured that Alcaraz’s resiliency ended there.
“I’m taking on one of the world’s top players. Particularly in the past two years,” Zverev remarked following the game. “He’s either ranked first or second. Twice has he won a grand slam. When you have a 6-1, 6-3, 5-2 lead, you begin to think. All of us are human. It is truly an honor to play men such as him. “Your brain starts working when you start winning. Though it’s not always beneficial, I’m glad the game is over.” Zverev advanced to his ninth Grand Slam semifinal, where on the 26th he will face world no. 3 Daniil Medvedev.
