Thiem outguns top seed Nadal to enter semi-finals
MELBOURNE:Outplayed at his own brand of physical tennis for much of the match, Rafael Nadal finally claimed a set to try to start a comeback against Dominic Thiem. Nadal marked the moment by hopping in a crouch at the baseline and vigorously pumping his right arm four times. Soon, though, he was back in trouble. And eventually, his bid to tie Roger Federer’s record of 20 Grand Slam titles by winning the Australian Open was over with a quarterfinal loss Wednesday to Thiem—a younger version of Nadal himself.
Thiem’s 7-6 (3), 7-6 (4), 4-6, 7-6 (6) victory over the top-seeded Nadal lasted 4 hours, 10 minutes because of so many lengthy, electrifying points and put him in his fifth major semi-final.
It is Thiem’s first trip to the final four at a Slam somewhere other than at the French Open, the place that is Nadal’s domain. Of more significance: The outcome ended Nadal’s career-best streak of making at least the semifinals at seven consecutive Grand Slam tournaments, a span during which he earned three trophies to narrow his gap with Federer.
“He is one of the greatest of alltime, one of this sport’s biggest legends,” the fifth-seeded Thiem said about Nadal.
The last time Nadal didn’t get to the final four at a major? Also at the Australian Open, where he also went out in the quarter-finals two years ago before finishing as the runner-up to Novak Djokovic in 2019. That was Nadal’s fourth defeat in a final at Melbourne Park since he won his lone title at the place in 2009. He’s won two at Wimbledon, four at the U.S. Open and 12 at the French Open.
Thiem had been 0-5 against Nadal at the majors, including losses in the final at Roland Garros each of the past two years. But this one was different. The defining statistic: Thiem won exactly twice as many points that featured nine or more shots, 24-12.
Thiem managed to hang in there with Nadal on physical baseline exchanges, trading groundstroke for groundstroke and picking the proper spots to move forward.
Or to describe it another way: Thiem was out-Nadal-ing Nadal, the ultimate grinder who never met a point that was too long or too grueling.
Now Thiem will play No. 7 Alexander Zverev on Friday for a berth in the title match. So instead of Nadal, 33, against Wawrinka, 34, it’ll be Zverev, 22, against Thiem, 26, a couple of members of the new generation trying to collect a breakthrough Slam title. “I think it’s the first time I am playing a Grand Slam semi-final and I am the older player,” Thiem said.
Then, on his first match point, at 6-4 in the last tiebreaker, Thiem drove a leaping forehand into the net, then covered his face with his left hand. His second match point came and went with a lob that landed long. But Thiem did not fold there, getting a third opportunity to close it with a crosscourt backhand that glanced off the tape - one of a handful of favorable net cords for him.