After five-straight first-round exits, Bopanna scripted his best ever run at an Australian Open.
The crowd waited with anticipated breath. Alexander Zverev, up two sets to none, was serving for the match. Their favourite, and overwhelmingly so, Carlos Alcaraz had endured the most forgettable one hour of the Australian Open men’s quarterfinal. In the first set, the world No. 2 had committed 10 unforced errors, allowing Zverev to single handedly place himself on the cusp of victory.
The brand of tennis Alcaraz played was so disastrous that an unpredicted straight-set defeat seemed imminent. A funereal hush had descended upon the Rod Laver Arena as Zverev went 5-3 up. Something was amiss about Alcaraz the whole time, but in the game that could have ended his hopes, is where the Spaniard shook Sasha’s momentum for the first time in the match.
Alcaraz goes 30-0 up, for the first time in this contest but a couple of aces from Zverev evens it up. A long rally results in the German hitting the nets before a crosscourt forehand followed by a splendid volley triggers Alcaraz’s unbelievable comeback. The near-15000 present at the iconic venue which did not move an inch until then, erupted in unison.
Alcaraz had answered the cry. He was in for another set. It didn’t matter if it was 10.30 in the night. It didn’t matter if it got freezing cold, or that the legendary Rod Laver himself was in attendance. Alcaraz, considered by many the heir to Rafael Nadal, had one more set left in him.(HT)