Carlos Alcaraz crashes out of Aussie Open with loss to Zverev - ESPN

Alexander Zverev made no mistake with his second chance to close out a win over No. 2-ranked Carlos Alcaraz on Wednesday night and moved into an Australian Open semifinal against two-time finalist Daniil Medvedev.

The sixth-seeded Zverev was up a break in the third set and missed a chance to serve out the win, but he didn't blink the second time, finishing off a 6-1, 6-3, 6-7 (2), 6-4 victory.

Wimbledon champion Alcaraz was the only player to beat 10-time Australian Open winner Novak Djokovic in a Grand Slam match last year. He won't get the chance in Australia this time.

It was Zverev's first win over a top-five player at a Grand Slam, and the reward was a spot in the semifinals for the seventh time at a major. He will face Medvedev, who won a grueling four-hour match over Hubert Hurkacz 7-6 (4), 2-6, 6-3, 5-7, 6-4.

Zverev said he had been taking some beatings from Medvedev recently, but «maybe this will be it. Maybe this will be the place.»

Speaking in a news conference at 3 a.m. local time, Zverev considered Wednesday's result his most important since returning from an ankle injury layoff that ruled him out of Wimbledon and the US Open in 2022.

«I was on top of my game before the injury happened,» he said. «I'm extremely happy to be back where I am and winning these kind of matches, giving myself the chance again. Because last year… I wasn't a Slam contender.»

Alcaraz missed the 2023 Australian Open with injury and was into the quarterfinals here for the first time. He had dropped only one set and spent five fewer hours on court than Zverev in the four previous rounds.

«I'm sad with my level today, because I have been playing good tennis,» Alcaraz said. «Obviously quarterfinal of a Grand Slam is a good run. It's not