Alcaraz squandered a set lead in the quarter-finals of the Australian Open against Novak Djokovic last night, winning 4-6 6-4 6-3 6-4. The Serb had the last laugh, but at one point it looked like Alcaraz would be the winner early in the match.

The Spaniard came back from two sets down in last year's Wimbledon final, but he failed to show high enough to take on Djokovic on Tuesday.

In his post-match press conference, Alcaraz said he knew what was wrong with the game. He mentioned that after winning the first set, he had momentum, but relaxed a little and eventually let the opportunity slip away. "Honestly, I felt like I was in control of the game." "But I got him back into the game, and I would say it was the biggest mistake I made today." ”

The Spaniard believed he should have upped his game at the start of the second set to seal the win once and for all, but failed to do so. According to him, this lax move allowed Djokovic to get back into the game and ultimately take control.

"In the second set, I need to play a little bit better and push him to the limit." Alcaraz said. "Yes, he had some problems moving at certain points in the second set. I should have pressed further, but I didn't. After that, I feel like he started to feel better and played at a very high level, which was my biggest mistake today."

Alcaraz admitted after the game that he had a number of chances even in the second half of the match, but it wasn't easy to play against Djokovic when he was in that form. The youngster even had a few chances on Djokovic's final two games. He said the match was very close and also gave credit to his opponent's performance.

'Obviously, when Djokovic is at this level, it's really difficult. Alcaraz said. "I feel like I have a chance. It was a very close game. I think most of the key points went to his side. When he's playing like that, it's hard to find a way to break through. ”

In the first set, Djokovic trailed 4-5 and called a medical timeout, saying he had problems with movement. Although the 24-time Grand Slam champion eventually lost the first set, he quickly recovered his form and put on a devastating performance in the next three sets. At the same time, Alcaraz, who appeared to be shocked, failed to make the necessary adjustments and eventually lost the match.

In his post-match press conference, Djokovic expressed his regret for Alcaraz. He believes that the Spaniard is feeling lost because of his injury.

"Listen, I can understand him. I know it's not comfortable playing with someone you're not sure if you're going to quit. Is he moving? Is he running? What happened? I felt like he was looking at me more than he was looking at himself. I was just trying to watch my body and focus on every point, every game, trying to hold my serve and put pressure on him. That's what happened. Djokovic said.

At the same time, Djokovic also pointed out the gap between the two sides in the match: "I put myself in a position where I could break serve. I broke his serve at 5-4 and it was enough to take the set. Then the handicap is flat and you start to feel better. He began to hesitate, with more hesitation when playing from the baseline. He made more mistakes and I started to play more freely. ”(Source: Tennis Home Author: Spark)