TIE-BREAKFAST - 01/31 Australian Open

Good morning and welcome back to TIE-Breakfast.

The morning briefing from Ace Cream that tells you everything you need to know before starting your day.

Today is Saturday, January 31, in Melbourne it's 6:30 PM and it's 23 degrees. Alright, let's go.

Today's Menu

• 🇪🇸 Alcaraz reaches the final after a five-and-a-half-hour battle with Zverev
• 🇷🇸 Djokovic stops Sinner and returns to the final at 38
• 🇮🇹 Sinner eliminated: the quest for a third consecutive title ends
• 🇧🇾 Women's final today: Sabalenka seeks the three-peat

WHAT HAPPENED YESTERDAY:

🇪🇸 Alcaraz Reaches Final After Longest Semifinal Ever

Carlos Alcaraz defeated Alexander Zverev 6-4, 7-6(5), 6-7(3), 6-7(4), 7-5 in five hours and twenty-seven minutes, the longest semifinal in Australian Open history.

The Spaniard was up two sets to love and seemed in control when, at 4-4 in the third set, his body began to fail him. Cramps, adductor problems, a medical timeout that infuriated Zverev, who believed it was just cramps and therefore not deserving of medical assistance. Alcaraz continued to play visibly limited in his movement, losing the next two sets almost on arm strength alone. In the fifth, down a break, with Zverev serving for the match at 5-4, the Spaniard found a way to win the last four consecutive games. One of those matches that stays with you, beyond the score, for what they reveal about the ability to resist when everything seems to be going the wrong way. At twenty-two, Alcaraz becomes the youngest player in the Open Era to reach the final of all four Grand Slams.

🇷🇸 Djokovic Stops Sinner And Returns To Final At 38

Novak Djokovic defeated Jannik Sinner 3-6, 6-3, 4-6, 6-4, 6-4 in four hours and nine minutes, ending a streak of five consecutive losses against the Italian.

The most striking statistic is the break points: Djokovic saved sixteen of eighteen, including eight in the fifth set alone. Sinner had chances, many of them, perhaps too many not to convert at least one of the decisive ones. But Djokovic at thirty-eight continues to navigate pressure moments with a naturalness that defies any logic of age. After the match, he ironically thanked those who had advised him to retire over the past two years: "They gave me strength," he said. He becomes the oldest player in the Open Era to reach a final in Melbourne, his eleventh. On Sunday, against Alcaraz, he will chase his twenty-fifth Slam, which would move him past Margaret Court in the all-time rankings.

🇮🇹 Sinner Eliminated: End Of The Three-Peat Dream

Jannik Sinner exits the Australian Open in the semifinals, missing his chance at a third consecutive title in Melbourne.

It wasn't a match to forget quickly, even if Sinner would probably have preferred to close it differently. Eight break points not converted in the fifth set is a number that weighs heavily, especially against an opponent who seems to have a sort of impermeability to key moments. "It hurts a lot," he admitted after the match, "I hope to take it as a lesson." The fifth set statistics speak clearly: Sinner has a win rate of 37%, Djokovic 78%. There are matches that are decided by the experience accumulated in certain moments, rather than the shots played. Last night's was one of these.

Read on Ace Cream

Two five-set semifinals, more than nine hours of tennis in a single night: we tried to tell you what these two matches mean for the present and future of this sport.

👉 Five sets to understand tennis

WHAT'S HAPPENING TODAY:

• Aryna Sabalenka (1) vs Elena Rybakina (5) - Women's final, Rod Laver Arena, from 9:30 AM Italian time. The Belarusian is seeking her third consecutive title in Melbourne, a feat that no one in the Open Era has achieved three times in a row since 1999. Rybakina arrives after eliminating Swiatek in the quarterfinals and Pegula in the semifinals, both without dropping a set. It's a rematch of the 2023 final, won by Sabalenka. The head-to-head stands at 8-6 for the world number one.
• Men's final tomorrow - Alcaraz and Djokovic will face each other on Sunday at 9:30 AM Italian time. For the Spaniard, it's his first Australian Open final; for the Serb, the chase for the all-time Slam record. The head-to-head is 5-4 for Djokovic, but 0-2 in Slam finals.

Further Reading

• We already have the match of the year
• Australian Open: Alcaraz is stronger than Zverev and the cramps. Incredible fifth-set victory
• Australian Open: Djokovic rewrites history. Returns to final beating Sinner in five sets
• Sinner: "It hurts a lot. I hope to take it as a lesson"

Enjoy your breakfast and have a great day.

See you tomorrow at 8:30 AM with TIE-Breakfast