Search
Subscribe
Subscribe

Djokovic psychologically devoured a still immature Alcaraz

Djokovic Alcaraz
Novak Djokovic / Kyodo action press
Share on:
Facebook
Twitter
LinkedIn

MELBOURNE – John McEnroe was right: ‘It’s not the first time we’ve seen this routine, don’t be fooled’.

And so it was. Novak Djokovic proved for the umpteenth time that being left for dead is about as dangerous as it gets in tennis: the Serb beat Spain’s Carlos Alcaraz 4-6, 6-4, 6-3, 6-4 on Tuesday to advance to the Australian Open semifinals, where he is bidding for his 11th title, which would be his 25th Grand Slam trophy.

“How did I win? With my two legs and two arms, I guess”, said a joking Djokovic to Australian’s TV after the match.

“One and a half legs, in fact”.

“I just wish today’s match was a final. It’s one of the most epic matches I have played on any court”, the Serbian added.

Djokovic conceded that he had some physical problem, but didn’t want to go further.

“Since I’m still in the tournament I don’t wanna reveal too much. The medication started to kick in. And I had to take another dose. If I had lost the second set I don’t know if I would have continued playing”.

“The key is recovering for me now. Hopefully I can come out and play my best”.

The first part of the match showed a more explosive Alcaraz with the strokes and tactical intelligence to impose his game on Djokovic. The 21-year-old Spaniard even had the presence of mind not to lose concentration after the five minutes in which the 37-year-old Serb went to the locker room to be treated for an adductor problem.

Alcaraz was unfazed: when the former world number one returned to Rod Laver Arena, he greeted him with three first serves and an ace to the T at 190 kilometres per hour to win the opening set 6-4 on serve.

+Clay  ‘Poisoned food’ and being treated ‘like shit’: Djokovic ’s Melbourne traumas resurface ahead of his 20th Australian Open

It wasn’t easy: Djokovic went to the locker room precisely after Alcaraz broke his serve, leaving the Spaniard alone in the stadium, with the cool, swirling wind coming off the sea, dozens of seagulls making their presence felt and the YMC theme from the Village People, Donald Trump’s new friends, blaring. Outside the stadium, a couple of hundred Serbian fans hoping their idol would win.

Hope with meaning, because against Djokovic it’s not enough to get the upper hand. His incredible resilience and fighting ability, and his remarkable ability to get inside his opponent’s mind, make him a highly dangerous opponent. You simply cannot rely on what you see: Djokovic is much more than what he shows.

So it was that Alcaraz was losing consistency and concentration. There are few things more difficult in tennis than maintaining that, consistency and concentration, when the opponent gives the impression that he is injured. And implying that he has some kind of physical problem is something Djokoivic has done a lot throughout his career.

He did it in Australia: his 2021 title came with a torn oblique muscle, and his 2023 title came with a torn hamstring.

Carlos Alcaraz / Kyodo action press

Alcaraz was losing effectiveness while Djokovic was gaining it. The Spaniard’s consistency faded, the Serb gritted his teeth and forgot about his pain and the match became more dramatic.

After taking the second set, Djokovic celebrated the third by putting a hand to his ear as he waited for the crowd’s reaction.

‘Did you see this coming,’ Patrick McEnroe asked his brother, John, during the ESPN broadcast.

+Clay  Guillermo Vilas' metamorphosis and how to stop Nastase and McEnroe - Jaime Fillol published his biography

‘Yes,’ the elder McEnroe replied laconically.

Alcaraz, caught in the Serb’s web of mind games, had long since lost control of the game. And Djokovic, used to winning when he is supposed to lose, did it again: he won.

In the semi-finals he will face Germany’s Alexander Zverev. Alcaraz, back in Spain, will have to wait until 2026 to try again to win the only Grand Slam in which he did not shout champion.

[ CLAY is read for free. But if you can, please make a contribution here so we can keep writting great #TennisTales around the world. It’s very easy and quick – thank you! ]

Tags:

Get the best stories in your inbox

Tennis Tales

Find us:

© 2024 Copyrights by Clay Tennis. All Rights Reserved.