Melbourne (AFP)

Novak Djokovic (N.1) defeated Alexander Zverev (7th) 6-7 (6/8), 6-2, 6-4, 7-6 (8/6) on Tuesday after a match disjointed and will face Aslan Karatsev (114th) in the semi-finals of the Australian Open.

"Until the final blow, the match could switch from one side to the other. Emotionally, I am exhausted. We pushed each other to the limit," commented the Serbian.

He was under pressure from the first game of the game, which he gave up on his serve, and chased after the score throughout the set.

"I needed time to warm up, to feel that I was able to do the rotations well. I had the chance to unbox and the tie break was very tight", commented Djokovic who wore a big bandage on the abdominals ... like his opponent.

But unlike the previous two matches, Djokovic did not show any pain.

And he was able to come back to the score every time Zverev broke away and seemed to be able to take the game on his own.

"Apart from the second, I started the sets very badly. I lost my services very early", regretted Djokovic, stressing that he was able to rely on excellent service.

Djokovic had 23 aces against 21 in Zverev.

But he also committed 56 unforced errors against 38 to his opponent.

“I served extremely well, managed a few more aces than him, which is a miracle against such a good server as Sasha,” he said.

The Serbian, however, conceded a break at the very start of the third set and found himself behind 3-0.

At 3-1, he got angry, smashed a racket on the ground, took a warning and lost the game (4-1).

But in the process, he lined up five games and won the round.

"When I broke my racket, I refocused and the game turned," he explained with a smile.

"If he (Zverev) had won, it would have been well deserved," he added, however.

Because in the fourth set, he was again down 3-0 and saved several 5-3 balls for Zverev.

Then he saved a set point at 6-5 before winning the tie break.

This time, it was he who won the deciding game, and the match.

In the quest for a ninth title in Melbourne, his 18th Grand Slam, he will face the surprising Russian Aslan Karatsev on Thursday, the first player to invite himself from his first Grand Slam in the last four in the Open era.

"I had never seen him play before the Australian Open. He's very strong, he moves well, he has a very good backhand, he serves well, he is motivated because he has nothing to lose ", Djokovic analyzed.

He did not elaborate on the state of his wound, limiting himself to saying that "the magic hands of (his) physio" had enabled him to be there.

But the number of injured players does not leave him indifferent.

"There are too many of them, he said. People do not realize, but the number of injuries in this tournament shows how the quarantine leaves scars on the bodies of the players," he said. he commented.

© 2021 AFP