Djokovic's feat: beats Sinner at the Australian Open. Final with Alcaraz

Nole does the feat and takes a knee at the Melbourne Central. At almost 39 years of age, he beat world number two Jannik Sinner in the fifth set after more than four hours of incredible battle 3-6, 6-3, 4-6, 6-4, 6-4. It was an unimaginable fight in which the Italian had to give in to the tenacity, experience and quality of play of the Serb, who was superior in the decisive moments and deserved the success. Djokovic gave everything he had to contest the title against Carlos Alcaraz and try to achieve yet another record (with his 11th title in Melbourne). And in this semifinal that we will remember, he did it.

The Italian won the first set 6-3, immediately going ahead 3-0 and closing in control. The second set was won with the same score by the Serb, who increased in intensity while Sinner was less incisive (down 3-1, he lost a game on Nole's serve from 0-40) and more foul. In the third set, head-to-head, Jannik prevailed 6-4, after cancelling out a dangerous break point on 2-even (conceded with an impromptu double fault, neutralised with a short ball and millimetric backhand pass). The fourth set, however, began on an uphill slope for the South Tyrolean: he broke serve in the first game despite three aces, a game played to great effect by the Serb, who placed three forehand winners. Thus Sinner is forced to chase, in a match that is now wide open. Djokovic then, like a true champion, held on 4-3, saving two break points, and brought home the set 6-4 on the third set point.

In the fifth and decisive set, things seemed to turn upside down: at 1-all, it was Sinner who put all the aggression in his body, winning two consecutive break points, yet Nole held out with a phenomenal serve. Jannik increased his pressure, and on 2-1 he procured three more chances, without managing to exploit them (thanks to his opponent's winners). The balance is maximum, it is now a war of nerves and physical endurance. Then, on 3 par, the Serb's break: with Sinner at the serve and 40-15, he climbs up, wins the break point, the Italian sends a forehand into the corridor. It's break, 4-3 for the Serb (with the serve at his disposal) who, in the next game, once again recovers from a desperate situation (0-40) and goes to 5-3 with an ace. Sinner was no longer able to vary, to materialise in the long exchanges that always smiled at his opponent, and failed in his strong point: to be effective in the decisive moments. It was not enough for him to hold serve at 5-3, Djokovic kept his cool to close out the match 6-4, on the third match point. A

"It's surreal, it's almost two o'clock in the morning," said the emotional Serb in front of a cheering crowd, which supported him throughout the fifth set. Then the tribute to Sinner: "I knew that only with quality I had a chance to win, he knows me by heart, I had lost the last five matches with him, I told him at the net 'thank you for letting me win once'. He is an incredible player, he takes you to the limit, he deserves a big applause'.

Alcaraz exults by throwing himself to the ground as if he had won the tournament, after a five and a half hour battle in the Australian Open semi-final against Sascha Zverev. He will remember this defeat for the rest of his life: he succumbed to the world number one who even overcame cramps when he was close to victory in the third set, held on playing as hard as he could, and then went on the attack in a fifth set in which he was always trailing and won. The score says it all: 6-4, 7-6, 6-7, 7-5 for the world number one who thus conquers the first Australian Open final of his career, proving, once again, his greatness, his ability to climb back from the precipice, of strokes he can count on even when his body is on the ropes. Zverev's regrets are incalculable, he failed to sink when he could, with an opponent weakened by cramps. In the fifth set he was always ahead by a break, and after neutralising several break points he went to serve for the match at 5-4... but nothing. He got caught up and beaten by an Alcaraz stronger than the physical troubles.