Huge upsets
> Nadal retire, Edmund and Mertens through
MARIN Cilic advanced to the semifinals of the Australian Open yesterday after top seed Rafa Nadal retired hurt when trailing 3-6 6-3 6-7(5) 6-2 2-0 in their match at Rod Laver Arena.
Nadal took a medical time-out late in the fourth set for treatment on an apparent hip injury and was clearly struggling as he battled on in the evening match.
After being broken to fall behind 2-0 in the fifth, Nadal called it quits, and shook hands ruefully with the chair umpire and Cilic.
Sixth seed Cilic will meet Briton Kyle Edmund for a place in the final.
Unseeded Edmund and Elise Mertens pulled off huge upsets to march into uncharted territory at the Australian Open yesterday as they swept into the semifinals.
British star Edmund stunned third seed Grigor Dimitrov 6-4, 3-6, 6-3, 6-4 on Rod Laver Arena.
Mertens, who is yet to drop a set, was equally convincing in blasting past world No. 4 Elina Svitolina 6-4, 6-0 to become the first Belgian to get so far since Kim Clijsters in 2012.
Bulgaria’s Dimitrov had beaten Edmund only two weeks ago in the quarterfinals at the Brisbane International, but there was no repeat.
“It’s an amazing feeling. I’m very happy,” said an overwhelmed Edmund, ranked 49 and in his first semifinal at a major.
“It was a hard match and I’m really trying to enjoy the moment. It was my first match on Rod Laver Arena and it’s very special.”
The 23-year-old is the only British man in the draw after Andy Murray’s injury withdrawal before the tournament, raising the prospect that it will be him, rather than the Scot, who breaks through to win in Australia.
World N0. 37 Mertens is on a hot streak of form, unbeaten in 10 matches after winning in Hobart this month. She was too physical for Svitolina as she stormed into the semis, incredibly on her Australian Open debut.
“It’s amazing. I mean, it was not expected, especially today. Really tough match,” said the Belgian world No. 37. “But I was in the zone today. If you believe in yourself, then anything can happen. But of course semis is “Wow.”
Svitolina blamed a hip injury for her shock ousting as she again failed to get to the last four of a Grand Slam on her 22nd attempt.
“It was my hip. I started to feel it actually after the final in Brisbane,” she said. “It’s been there all the time. But with painkillers, it was fine.”
She needed a run to the final to have a chance of displacing Simona Halep at the top of the world rankings. – AFP