Sawt Falasteen - Alcaraz defends controversial timeout after beaten Zverev fumes

The Spanish world number one fought through 6-4, 7-6 (7/5), 6-7 (3/7), 6-7 (4/7), 7-5 over a monumental 5hrs 27 mins in Melbourne to send the gutsy German third seed home.

There was controversy when Alcaraz pulled up in pain clutching his right thigh at 4-4 in the third set.

He was allowed to have treatment at the changeover, leaving Zverev furious and angrily remonstrating with officials.

Medical timeouts are not permitted solely for muscle cramping.

"He was cramping, so normally you can't take a medical timeout for cramping," said Zverev.

"What can I do? It's not my decision. I didn't like it, but it's not my decision."

Asked what he told the officials on court, he replied: "I just said it was bullshit, basically."

Alcaraz, who continued after treatment with his movement limited, said it was the physio who called for the medical timeout.

"In the beginning when it was on a specific just one muscle, I didn't think it was cramp at all," he said.

"I didn't know exactly what it was because I just go around to a forehand and then I started to feel it just in the right adductor, so that's why I just called the physio because in that moment, the left leg was good.

"In that moment I just talk to the physio. I said, okay, I just went to run to the forehand side, and I started to feel like the right adductor. He decided to take the medical timeout, and he did it."

Defeat was another bitter pill for Zverev, who is still searching for a first Slam crown aged 28 after being a three-time finalist, including last year in Australia when Jannik Sinner beat him.

He said he simply ran out of gas.

"Unfortunate ending for me, but to be honest, I had absolutely nothing left in me," he said.

"Even at 5-4 (leading in the fifth set), you know normally I can rely on my serve a bit more. My legs stopped pushing upward, that's the way it is. This is life. We move on."

Asked if he had any regrets, he pointed to not winning the second set.

"That one, for me, I felt like I should have won, especially serving for it. I didn't play a good game serving for it," he said.

"Funnily enough, I don't have many regrets in the fifth set because I was hanging on for dear life, to be honest. I was exhausted."

R.Halabi--SF-PST