Epic Djokovic comeback hands Alcaraz bitter lesson

When Carlos Alcaraz saw his great rival Novak Djokovic limp off the court towards the end of the first set of their blockbuster Australian Open quarter-final, the 21-year-old admitted to feeling a sense of relief.

- JAMIE BRAIDWOOD

Alcaraz's experience of the Olympic final at Roland Garros, where Djokovic raised his level to win that elusive gold medal last summer in a hugely emotional defeat for the young Spaniard, ensured he needed no reminder of how fearsome an opponent the 37-year-old remains when fully fit.

But as Djokovic struggled to move from side to side, let alone return his groundstrokes on the run or hit through his opponent from the back of the court, Alcaraz’s shoulders relaxed. Djokovic, head down, exited the Rod Laver Arena for a medical timeout, returning after several minutes with heavy strapping around his upper left leg. A few moments later, Alcaraz wrapped up the first set; having beaten Djokovic in consecutive Wimbledon finals over best-of-five, it looked a long way back for the 10-time Australian Open champion.

But Alcaraz will not forget what happened next. Sensing a stricken opponent, Alcaraz started to reign in his attacking play, taking the safer approach to extend the rallies. Playing on one leg, Djokovic began to swing for the lines and shorten the points. Subdued in the first set, Djokovic became the aggressor, now with nothing to lose. He broke Alcaraz in the opening game of the second set; then pounced when Alcaraz served at 5-4 to break again and level the match. Gradually, as the painkillers Djokovic was given during the medical timeout began to kick in, he became a different player.