By Richard Pagliaro | @Tennis_Now | Monday, January 22, 202

The Happy Slam has felt like a strain cooker for Alexander Zverev.

Zverev has dealt with the warmth with hard-core aggressive hearth.

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A centered Zverev received 21 of 25 first-serve factors within the remaining set edging Cameron Norrie 7-5, 3-6, 6-3, 4-6, 7-6(3) in a four-hour, five-minute Australian Open fourth-round victory.

It was Zverev's second fifth-set tiebreaker triumph in 4 event wins this week coming two rounds after he out-dueled qualifier Lukas Klein 7-5, 3-6, 4-6, 7-6(5), 7-6(7).

The excellent news for Zverev: he has been decisive going the gap. Zverev scored his fifth consecutive five-set win, bettering to 21-10 in profession five-setters.

The dangerous information for Zverev: he'll face far brisker Wimbledon winner Carlos Alcaraz for a semifinal spot.

The second-ranked Alcaraz destroyed Miomir Kecmanovic, who was coming off a five-set win over 2023 semifinalist Tommy Paul, 6-4, 6-4, 6-0 roaring into his maiden Australian Open quarterfinal.

Alcaraz has spent about eight hours, 42-minutes on court docket, whereas Zverev has toiled almost 5 hours longer.

Conceding fatigue might be an element towards the 20-year-old Spaniard, Zverev defiantly declared "I'm not dead."   

"If you play less, you are fresher, but I feel okay. I'm not like the US Open where I was completely dead and where I feel like I'm physically exhausted," Zverev informed the media in Melbourne. "I'm tired, for sure, because I played 7-6 in the fifth set again two times out of the last three matches, but I'm not dead.

"I'm not fully exhausted. I'm not in the identical bodily state I used to be within the US Open.

"I expect it to be very different, to be honest."

Alcaraz is gearing up for an additional shot on the Olympic gold-medal champion.

The sixth-seeded Zverev has received 4 of seven conferences vs. Alcaraz, together with a 6-7(3), 6-3, 6-4 victory on the ATP Finals final November.

However, two-time main champion Alcaraz swept Zverev 6-3, 6-2, 6-4 within the US Open quarterfinals final September.

"He is a really great player. He has beaten great guys here in this tournament," Alcaraz mentioned of Zverev. "Obviously I love playing against him. It's always a tough battles. I have to play my best level. He push me to play my 100% every time.

"The final time we face one another, I misplaced. So I've to be concentrate on that. I've to enhance my stage from that match. I'm going to get pleasure from. I'm going to get pleasure from that match. I'm going to get pleasure from enjoying the quarterfinals towards him... I believe for the group it should be an awesome match, as effectively."

The last time Zverev faced Alcaraz in a major, he was coming off an exhilarating five-set win over Jannik Sinner at the US Open.

The German believes his ferocity can combat fatigue and Alcaraz in their AO rematch.

"I additionally assume that popping out on the Rod Laver Arena at 7 p.m. for a quarterfinal match towards the No. 2 participant on the planet, that offers you vitality, as effectively," Zverev said. "I hope it should be a really enjoyable, entertaining match."

Photo credit score: Nicolo Campo

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