Alexander Zverev stuns World No 2 Carlos Alcaraz in Australian Open

The sixth seed Alexander Zverev has defeated Carlos Alcaraz, the world’s second-ranked player, in an Australian Open quarterfinal, giving him a four-set stunner in a thrilling contest.

In the tournament’s quarterfinal, the crowd favourite Alcaraz was bulldozed by Germany’s Zverev 6-4 in straight sets at the Rod Laver Arena, Melbourne early Thursday.

The German player dominated Alcaraz 6-1, 6-3, 7-6(7-2), taking control right from the beginning, breezing through the initial two sets with an impressive display of strength in Melbourne Park against the World No 2 Spaniard.

Zverev's serving prowess was particularly noteworthy, consistently landing first serves with precision throughout the entire match. His assertive playing approach proved successful, enabling him to take advantage of Alcaraz's mistakes.

After losing the first two sets one-sided, the Spaniard made an impressive comeback in the game as he clinched the third set 7-6(2) after a long battle.

For once, it looked like that the world number two would finally be back in the game but Zverev’s excellent show in the fourth set made sure Alcaraz’s resilience stopped right there.

“I’m playing one of the best players in the world. Especially over the last 2 years," Zverev said after the match. "He’s been number 1 or number 2. He’s won 2 grand slams. When you’re up 6-1 6-3 5-2 you start thinking. We’re all human. It’s a great honour to play guys like him.

"When you start winning, your brain starts going. It’s not always helpful, but very happy to have finished the match."

Zverev reached his seventh Grand Slam semi-final where he will now take on world number three Daniil Medvedev on 26th.