Slow-Cooked Classics for Alcaraz and Djokovic

After an unsatisfying start to the Australian Open, the men's semifinals delivered two feasts.

MELBOURNE, Australia — The consensus was increasingly clear at this Australian Open: through the first 12 days, it had been a remarkably forgettable tournament. Several folks I spoke to in the last few days suggested that perhaps this Grand Slam tournament had peaked with the 1 Point Slam—and they meant that earnestly.

But that all changed, dramatically and magnificently, when the top four men in the ATP rankings took to Rod Laver Arena on Friday for the men’s semifinals.

To read about these two epic matches, as well as previews of both the men’s and women’s singles finals, please subscribe to Bounces! -Ben