"Novak Djokovic’s second serve won this match, no doubt" – Andy Roddick analyses Djokovic's victory over Carlos Alcaraz

Novak Djokovic's hunt for an 11th Australian Open title will continue after the Serbian defeated Spain’s Carlos Alcaraz to book his place in the semi-finals. The match lived up to expectations, with both players producing an incredible standard of tennis across all four sets.

Whenever Djokovic and Alcaraz meet on the court, there is little to separate them, and their latest encounter was no exception. Former world number one Andy Roddick noted that mind games played a role in the contest, and in his view, Djokovic came out on top in that aspect.

Novak Djokovic is through

Over the past few years, Djokovic and Alcaraz have developed a fierce rivalry, delivering thrilling battles whenever they meet. Their Australian Open quarter-final was no different, as Djokovic secured a 4-6, 6-4, 6-3, 6-4 victory over the 21-year-old Spaniard.

Alcaraz started strong, taking the first set, but Djokovic raised his intensity, adjusting to counter his opponent’s fast-paced style. A key factor in Djokovic’s win was his ability to break Alcaraz’s serve at crucial moments, ensuring he always had the upper hand in the latter stages of each set.

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In the fourth set, Alcaraz mounted a fightback, but Djokovic held firm to seal the win and book his place in the semi-final, where he will face Alexander Zverev.

After the contest, Djokovic was full of praise for Alcaraz:

"I want to say my utmost respect and admiration for Carlos, everything he stands for and what he has achieved so far in his career," Djokovic said in his on-court interview.

"What a terrific guy he is and an even better competitor. He is the youngest ever No. 1 in the world, has four grand slams, and I'm sure we will see a lot of him… maybe not as much as I would like, but he will surely be there longer than me. Honestly, I wish this match today was the final."

"It's one of the most epic matches I have played on this, on any court."

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Andy Roddick's take

Andy Roddick 

Former world number one Andy Roddick knows all about performing under pressure, and on The Served Podcast, the American discussed Djokovic’s use of mind games and his overall performance against Alcaraz.

"A lot of the talk around this will be about Novak being hurt and then seeming to be 100 per cent late on," Roddick said.

"I know Novak was going to Carlos's ear to the crowd a bit, and I like it when athletes troll another athlete in the heat of battle."

"Carlos got up on a switchover and was limping around. I don't know if that was mocking Novak, who seemed to be compromised with his movement, and then, in the third and fourth sets, he moved as well as I've seen him in 18 months or two years. That will live. I'm sure that will be a major talking point in the aftermath of this match."

According to Roddick, one of the decisive factors in the match was Djokovic’s strategy on his second serve:

"Novak was going massive on his second serve and not hitting a lot of those little bunny kicks," Roddick explained.

"He didn’t give him a canvas. When he has time, he becomes an artist. When he doesn’t have time, it’s a little more rushed. It was like telling an artist you have to finish this painting in 30 minutes, and that's not the best version of what they will do."

"Novak Djokovic’s second serve won this match, no doubt. Carlos was up high on the court, and Novak pinched him on so many second serves repeatedly."

"I was confused for three hours why he didn’t go back. Carlos eventually drifted back when Novak served at 4-3 in the fourth set and got a couple of looks at breakpoints."

Can Djokovic extend his legacy

Djokovic is widely regarded as one of the greatest players in the history of the sport, and his Australian Open dominance has been unmatched.

With another grand slam title within reach, all eyes will be on Djokovic to see whether he can add an 11th Australian Open trophy to his collection and further extend his legendary status.

His next challenge is Alexander Zverev, but if Djokovic maintains his current level, he could be on course for yet another historic achievement.

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