Novak Djokovic rarely enters a match as the underdog, particularly at the Australian Open and at Rod Laver Arena, where he holds the record for the most victories. However, the 37-year-old demonstrated on Tuesday that despite the emergence of a new generation in men's tennis, he remains a formidable competitor. In front of a full centre court at Melbourne Park, Djokovic triumphed over third seed Carlos Alcaraz in a thrilling quarterfinal, winning 4-6, 6-4, 6-3, 6-4 after a gruelling three hours and 37 minutes.

This victory allowed Djokovic to increase his lead over Alcaraz in their head-to-head matchups to 5-3, having won their last two meetings, albeit on different surfaces. Conversely, Alcaraz now holds a 0-3 record against Djokovic on hard courts.

In challenging windy conditions, Alcaraz effectively utilized drop shots to counter Djokovic, who required a medical timeout for an upper left leg issue while trailing 4-5 in the first set. The Spaniard recorded 13 winners compared to Djokovic's three, recovering from a slow start to claim the first set 6-4 after 54 minutes. Although Djokovic initially surged to a 2-0 lead, Alcaraz regained his footing, breaking back after executing a backhand winner following a lengthy rally.

Despite displaying signs of physical discomfort that hindered his movement during the first set, Djokovic made significant adjustments to his strategy, gaining the upper hand in baseline exchanges by striking the ball powerfully from both sides and maintaining depth to prevent Carlos Alcaraz from employing drop shots effectively.

Djokovic quickly established a 3-0 lead in the second set. Alcaraz managed to break back to level the score at 3-3 after Djokovic made an error on a forehand, but the 24-time Grand Slam champion responded by shortening the rallies and increasing his aggression from the baseline, ultimately hitting 11 winners to secure the second set 6-4.

Continuing to apply pressure, Djokovic, a ten-time champion in Melbourne, kept Alcaraz on the defensive.

Read Also: Djokovic Transforms into Caring Father Figure After Thrilling Win Over Alcaraz

Get the latest Bollywood entertainment news, trending celebrity news, latest celebrity news, new movie reviews, latest entertainment news, latest Bollywood news, and Bollywood celebrity fashion & style updates!

HOW DID YOU LIKE THIS ARTICLE? CHOOSE YOUR EMOTICON!