Now or never

5-0 Alcaraz, and I don't feel De Minaur can generally turn things around. But it's the Australian Open, and he's in great form and fresh, so is there any reason to believe he can?

Only one set lost by ADM since the start of the tournament and it’s not like he’s been playing pushovers either! The Australian is particularly strong and he’s cruising without spending too much energy on top of that; this is his backyard and he usually plays his best tennis in Australia. Everything’s lined up for him to play the match of his life against Carlito, but the match-up is far from straightforward for him and I hope he comes in with answers. Even Paul, who has often bothered Alcaraz, got taken out in straight sets. The Spaniard is a monster, he’s not as sloppy as he used to be and he seems almost unbeatable. The only thing we can really hope for is an off day with a lot of unforced errors and impatience against the ADM wall. The Australian moves incredibly well, he can slice and play a bit more intelligently than Paul I’d say; the American just tried to outplay Carlito in his own patterns with insane intensity, when he could have tried to adapt and slow things down a bit.

Easier said than done, I know! De Minaur could get swept in three quick sets without having the slightest answer, or he could simply play better than in their last meetings and Alcaraz might give a bit more away out of frustration… The heat will be extreme tomorrow, worse than when they stopped Sinner’s match, so we should normally move indoors; not sure that changes anything for either of them. Alright, time to make a call.