“I’ve thrown up”: Problems for Alcaraz before Spaniard secures heroic win over Zverev

Carlos Alcaraz overcame a mid-match crisis to see off Alexander Zverev in the pair’s Australian Open semifinal on Friday, as the Spaniard fought back in the final set to beat the German in an epic encounter.

Alcaraz triumphed 6-4, 7-6, 6-7, 6-7, 7-5, overcoming multiple physical issues to reach his first ever Melbourne final.

“I’ve thrown up”

Having taken the first two sets on Roder Laver Arena, the world No. 1 was then hit by a crisis in the third.

After Zverev held serve to level the set at 3-3, Alcaraz walked over to his box ahead of his own service game, telling coach Samuel López and the rest of his team: “I’ve thrown up. I don’t know if I should take something.”

And the discomfort didn’t stop there for Alcaraz. At 4-4 in the third, he began to struggle with his movement due to cramping - an issue that forced him to call for the trainer. Alcaraz’s cramps slowed the match down - something a tense Zverev didn’t appreciate, voicing his frustration to the chair umpire.

A physically hampered Alcaraz ended up losing both the third and fourth sets on a tiebreak, before Zverev - chasing a second straight final appearance in Australia - served for the match at 5-4 in the fifth.

Yet in a scarcely credible final twist to the match, Alcaraz hit back to break the German’s serve, before winning the next two games to complete a stunning five-set victory.

Can Alcaraz complete career grand slam?

Alcaraz will now meet either two-time defending champion Jannik Sinner, or Novak Djokovic, the 10-time Australian Open winner, in the final on Sunday.

Were he to prevail in the title decider, the Spaniard would become only the ninth men’s player to win all four major tournaments during his career.

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