Carlos Alcaraz has made it through to another Australian Open semi-final after a strong win over local favourite Alex de Minaur.
De Minaur was keen for the challenge, but Alcaraz’s quality was clear from the start as he eased to a 7-5, 6-2, 6-1 victory.
Alcaraz, who held a perfect record in Australian Open quarter-finals coming into this match, is now two wins away from his third Grand Slam title. He could also become just the sixth player to have won three different major titles by the age of 21.
The Spaniard is now into the last four at Melbourne Park and will face Alexander Zverev for a place in the final.
Carlos Alcaraz says it’s ‘impossible’ to hit the ball hard every time vs Alex de Minaur
Zverev praised Learner Tien after defeating the American in their quarterfinal, with Alcaraz now doing the same with De Minaur.
Alcaraz reflected on his performance, saying: “I am just really happy with the way I am playing every match since the first round until now, I think my level is increasing every match which I’m really happy about.
“After the first match they told me be patient, the level you want to play is going to come, and I think today I felt really comfortable playing great tennis which I’m really proud about and I’m really happy to get into the semifinals.”
Reflecting on how he handled De Minaur’s style of play, Alcaraz added: “It’s really difficult. I started the match really, really well, hitting the ball really well.
“You want to hit the ball as hard as you can every time which is impossible against him. I think from 3-0 to 3-3, 4-4, I wanted everything in a rush and I took a moment and a break.
“Mentally I was there and I was more patient from 4-4 until the end of the match which was great for me. But playing against someone like Alex is always really difficult.”
He finished by saying: “You have to be really focused on every ball. You have to win the point three or four times almost so that means it’s difficult to play against Alex.”
Alex de Minaur still can’t find a way past Carlos Alcaraz
De Minaur certainly had his moments, but there was never much doubt over who the favourite was. Alcaraz took control early and rarely let it go.
Even with the home support behind him, De Minaur couldn’t find a way through. The Rod Laver crowd was firmly on his side, cheering every point, but it wasn’t enough to close the gap.
The defeat extends De Minaur’s winless run against Alcaraz to six matches. In those meetings, he’s managed just two sets.
Zverev, on the other hand, has a far better record against the Spaniard. Their head-to-head is perfectly balanced at 6-6 ahead of their semi-final clash in Melbourne.
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