Tsitsipas upsets Nadal, in semis

Melbourne, Feb. 17: Stefanos Tsitsipas ended Rafael Nadal’s Grand Slam record bid in five gripping sets on Wednesday in the Australian Open quarterfinals.

Greece’s Tsitsipas looked down and out after losing the first two sets but after edging the third he was a different player, taking the upper hand over a subdued Nadal to win 3-6, 2-6, 7-6 (7/4), 6-4, 7-5.

Tsitsipas, 22, stunned Roger Federer in the 2019 last 16 before being halted by Nadal in the semis, but he turned the tables to set up a last-four meeting with Russia’s Daniil Medvedev.

Underlining the scale of the upset, it was only the second time Nadal has lost a Grand Slam five-setter from two sets to love after his defeat to Fabio Fognini at the 2015 US Open.

“I don’t know what happened after the third set — I fly like a little bird, everything was working for me,” the fifth seed said.

MEDVEDEV’S MAGIC MAULS RUBLEV

Daniil Medvedev came out on top of a brutal allRussian clash Thursday against Andrey Rublev to move into his first Australian Open semifinal and inch closer to a maiden Grand Slam title.

The fourth seed had more firepower than his younger, eighth-seeded rival in scorching conditions on Rod Laver Arena, grinding him down 7-5, 6-3, 6-2 to extend his win-streak to 19 matches.

His reward is a last-four clash with the fifth-seeded Greek Stefanos Tsitsipas.

“I would say the three last points when I was getting ready for the serve I could not really move my left leg,” he said, with both players cramping in the “super-tough” conditions.

MUCHOVA SPOILS ASHLEIGH’S PARTY

Top seed and home hope Ashleigh Barty’s Australian Open came to a juddering halt in the quarterfinals on Wednesday, just as fans were cleared to return after an eerie, fiveday Coronavirus lockdown.

Barty had raised expectations of ending Australia’s 43-year wait for a home winner but her campaign was ended by Czech surprise package Karolina Muchova, who stunned the top seed 1-6, 6-3, 6-2.

Muchova will face Jennifer Brady in the last four after the 22nd seed beat her fellow American and close friend Jessica Pegula 4-6, 6-2, 6-1.

BRADY CRUISES INTO SEMIFINALS

After Barty’s departure, Brady also staged a comeback to beat Pegula, whose father is the billionaire owner of the Buffalo Bills NFL franchise, 4-6, 6-2, 6-1.

Brady’s achievement is notable, as she is the last woman standing among those who served a hard 14day quarantine after arriving in Australia — unlike other players, who were allowed out of their hotels for five hours a day to train.

“I felt the pressure from her. She’s such an aggressive player,” said Brady, who also reached the semis at last year’s US Open.

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