Nadal loses in quarters; Osaka knocks off Serena

MELBOURNE, Australia — Rafael Nadal entered his Australian Open quarterfinal with a 223-1 record when grabbing the first two sets of a Grand Slam match.

Thanks to his own mistakes — and some spirited play by Stefanos Tsitsipas — that mark is now 223-2.

A couple of uncharacteristically sloppy overheads and a framed backhand in a thirdset tiebreaker began Nadal’s undoing, and his bid here for a men’s-record 21st major championship eventually ended Wednesday with 3-6, 2-6, 7-6 (4), 6-4, 7-5 loss to the younger, sharper Tsitsipas.

“Was little bit of everything, no? I missed a couple of balls in the tiebreak that I shouldn’t — that I could not — miss if I want to win. And that’s it,” said Nadal, who briefly left the Spanish portion of his postmatch news conference after clutching at his cramping right hamstring.

“I have to go back home,” Nadal said, “and practice to be better.”

Serena Williams once again came within reach of a record-tying 24th Grand

Slam singles title, playing well enough to get to the closing days of a major tournament. And once again, she couldn’t quite get it done — beaten 6-3, 6-4 by Naomi Osaka in the women’s semifinals.

Osaka, who also beat Williams in the chaotic 2018

U.S. Open final, reached her fourth major title match and stretched her winning streak to 20 matches by claiming the last eight points.

“I don’t know if there’s any little kids out here today, but I was a little kid watching her play,” Osaka, 23, said about Williams, 39, “and just to be on the court playing against her, for me, is a dream.”

Since returning to the tour in 2018 after having her daughter, Williams has reached four major finals and lost them all. She’s also now lost in the semifinals twice in that span.