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STEFANOS TSITSIPAS SENDS RAFAEL NADAL OUT OF AUSTRALIAN OPEN IN A DRAMATIC COME BACK WIN

Rafael Nadal’s latest bid for grand slam history was ended by a sensational comeback from Stefanos Tsitsipas at the Australian Open.

The 34-year-old Spaniard, bidding to overhaul Roger Federer’s haul of 20 major titles, was two sets up and well on course for a semi-final against Daniil Medvedev.

Nadal was threatening to roll over the 22-year-old from Greece, just as he had in the last four in Melbourne two years ago when he won 6-2 6-4 6-0.

But this time Tsitsipas had other ideas as he completed a stunning 3-6 2-6 7-6 (4) 6-4 7-5 victory to become only the second man, along with Fabio Fognini, to come from two sets down to beat Nadal at a grand slam.

Tsitsipas somehow clung on to edge the third set, even though Nadal dropped just one point on serve in taking it to a tie-break.

It was the first set Nadal had dropped at the tournament, and brought to an end a run of 35 consecutive sets won at grand slams.

Tsitsipas had his tail up and forced his first break – and the first by either player in two hours – for 5-4 before serving out and levelling the match.

The decider went with serve, with Tsitsipas firing down four aces to win one game, until three unforced Nadal errors gifted his opponent the break for 6-5.

Ever the fighter, Nadal saved two match points but Tsitsipas nailed the third to complete a landmark victory.

“I’m speechless, I have no words to describe what just happened,” said Tsitsipas on court afterwards.

“It’s an unbelievable feeling to be able to fight at such a level and give my all on court.

“I started very nervous but I don’t know what happened after the third set. I flew like a little bird.

“Everything was working for me and the emotions are indescribable. I’m really happy with the attitude I showed on court.”

Defeat meant Nadal will have to wait another year in his attempt to become the first man to win every grand slam title twice in the Open era.

In-form world number four Medvedev won the all-Russian clash with Andrey Rublev to reach his first Melbourne semi-final.

Medvedev, a former US Open finalist, stretched his current winning streak to 19 matches with a 7-5 6-3 6-2 victory against his ATP Cup team-mate.

Rublev, ranked eight in the world, was clearly struggling with the heat as the match wore on and is still yet to take a set off his friend and compatriot in five meetings.

Medvedev, who won the ATP Finals in London at the end of last year and went unbeaten through Russia’s ATP Cup triumph, needed treatment on his thigh after the match.

He said: “I started cramping in my quad. I saw he was cramping also so I tried not to show it. But I couldn’t really move my left leg at the end.

“It was super tough, we had some unbelievable rallies. I think I’m one of the first players to make Andrey tired on court so I’m quite happy about it.

“To play my friend? It’s never easy but we’re all super competitive. It was one of the best matches I’ve played lately. To beat him in three sets without a tie-break, I’m very happy about that.”

There was also good news for Australian Open organisers after it was confirmed that fans will be allowed back into Melbourne Park on Thursday after the city’s five-day coronavirus lockdown comes to an end.

The crowd will be capped at 7,477 for each session, which is approximately 50 per cent capacity in the Rod Laver Arena.

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AUSTRALIAN OPEN: KAROLINA MUCHOVA STUN ASHLEIGH BARTY TO CLINCH SEMI-FINAL SPOT.

Karolina Muchova stunned world number one Ashleigh Barty with a sensational comeback sparked by a medical time-out to progress into the Australian Open semi-finals following a 1-6 6-3 6-2 win.

The 25th seed looked out of sorts in a first set which lasted only 24 minutes and at this stage it seemed the home favourite sealing her place in the last four was a formality.

A medical time-out proved the catalyst for the Czech to wrestle back some momentum and, after she levelled, it was Barty who lost her radar and a catalogue of unforced errors saw hopes of a maiden Australian Open victory ended.

For Muchova her remarkable tournament continues with Karolina Pliskova and Elise Mertens already dispatched but this victory tops the lot and seals a first ever appearance at the last four of a grand slam

In her on-court interview, the 24-year-old semi-finalist reflected on her medical time-out and said: “I started to feel a bit lost at the end of the first set.

“My head was spinning so I took a break and it helped me. I tried to get back and play a bit faster and it worked well.

“They checked my (blood) pressure, I was a bit lost and spinning. They cooled me down with ice and it helped me.”

French Open winner Barty refused to be drawn into a debate about the long break in play when she attended her press conference.

She insisted: “If she wasn’t within the rules, the physios and the doctors would have said so. That’s the laws of our game, is that we have those medical time-outs for cases that are needed. Obviously she needed that today. Completely within the rules for her to take that.

“From my point of view, I’ve played a lot of matches where there have been medical timeouts. I’ve taken medical timeouts myself before, so that shouldn’t be a massive turning point in the match.

“I was disappointed that I let that become a turning point. I’m experienced enough now to be able to deal with that.”

Barty had got the better of the Czech in their previous meeting at the US Open in 2018 and signalled her intentions with a break in her opponent’s first game in temperatures of 25 degrees in Melbourne.

Muchova could not find her range and a string of wayward shots were followed by a double fault to put her on the verge of a bagel following 16 minutes of play at the Rod Laver Arena.

It was avoided but Barty secured a routine first set by a 6-1 scoreline before the tide turned in unexpected fashion following a medical time-out.

The world number 27, in only her second ever grand slam quarter-final, went off for a long period after a rare winner and when she returned it was now her Australian opponent who could not land any shots.

Five of the next six games in the set went the way of Muchova to level proceedings with Barty hitting 18 unforced errors.

Momentum was firmly with the underdog and another break at the start of the decider increased the pressure on the home favourite, who was seeing hopes of becoming the first Aussie woman since Wendy Turnbull in 1980 to reach the final of the Australian Open fade fast.

With the crowd not due to return until Thursday after a five-day lockdown for the state of Victoria ends, Barty had to find support from within and yet let another game slip despite nerves getting the better of the duo with the finish line in sight.

Serving for the match, Muchova sealed her passage into the semi-finals with an ace to claim one of the best victories of her career.

Jennifer Brady clinched a second consecutive last four appearance at a major with a 4-6 6-2 6-1 win over fellow American Jessica Pegula in the quarter-finals.

The Fed Cup team-mates produced an entertaining contest with breaks aplenty in addition to various long rallies.

Brady, who reached the US Open semi-finals in August, recovered from losing the first set and being broken in the first game of the decider to fight back and knock out her good friend.

She said: “I know we will be having a lot more tough battles. Some may go her way, some may go mine. Luckily today it went mine and I am really happy to be moving onto the semi-finals.”

World number 61 Pegula’s fantastic journey in the tournament came to its conclusion despite a strong start where she won 12 consecutive points to seal the opener.

After 22nd seed Brady began to channel her growing frustration, winners became more frequent and three breaks secured the second set.

When Pegula broke at the start of the third, the balance of the tie looked set to turn once more, but the player ranked 24 in the world responded in style to triumph in the next six games and set up a semi-final date with 25th seed Muchova.

The winner will make a grand slam final for the first time where they will meet one of either Naomi Osaka or Serena Williams.

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SERENA WILLIAMS AND NAOMI OSAKA SET FOR DRAMATIC AUSTRALIAN OPEN SEMI-FINAL

Serena Williams set up a blockbuster Australian Open semi-final with Naomi Osaka after producing her best performance of the tournament to defeat Simona Halep 6-3, 6-3 on Tuesday.

The 39-year-old American went toe-to-toe with the Romanian second seed over 80 engrossing minutes on Rod Laver Arena before she was finally able to move to within two victories of a record-equalling 24th Grand Slam title.

The victory serves as a measure of revenge for the last time the pair played when Halep defeated Williams in the 2019 Wimbledon final.

Williams, who mixed 24 winners with 33 unforced errors over the contest, has not won a major since her seventh Australian Open triumph in 2017, losing four successive major finals since then.

The third of those four defeats came against Osaka in the 2018 US Open final, so Williams will have another shot at revenge.

“Definitely think this is the best match I have played this tournament, for sure,” said Williams after reaching her 40th Grand Slam semi-final.

“Obviously I had to be going up against the number two in the world, so I knew I had to do better, and that’s what I did and I’m excited.”

For Halep, who reached the semi-finals last year and was losing finalist in 2018, it was back to the drawing board as she looks to add to her two Grand Slam titles at the French Open and Wimbledon.

Williams will need to deliver a similarly impressive display when she faces Osaka, who maintained her bid for fourth major title after crushing Hsieh Su-wei 6-2, 6-2 earlier in the day.

Osaka is aiming to win the Australian Open immediately after claiming the US Open for a second time – she previously achieved the feat in 2018 and 2019 – and her win over Hsieh was markedly easier than their last meeting at Melbourne Park.

Osaka had a torrid time against Hsieh in 2019, having to come back from a set and a break down on the way to claiming the championship.

But the 23-year-old Japanese star had no such problems in Tuesday’s match inside Rod Laver Arena as she dominated from start to finish to wrap up victory in 66 minutes.

“Yeah, definitely really happy,” Osaka said on-court. “Really happy with how I played today. Every time I play her it’s a real battle and, despite the score, this was again a real battle today.”

Hsieh, 35, bowed out after a stellar tournament, having become the oldest women’s player to debut in a Grand Slam quarter-final in the professional era.

The improbable angles conjured by her double-handed, double-sided game had Osaka in some trouble early, but Hsieh was unable to convert any of the three break points she raised in the opening games of the first set.

Osaka quashed the first of them in the opening game with an ace down the ‘T’ before smashing Hsieh’s defences with a blazing backhand down the line to break to 3-1.

After holding on grimly through a 14-point game to hold serve, Osaka raised the pressure when Hsieh served to stay in the set at 5-2 and sealed it when the Taiwanese slapped a limp backhand wide.

Hsieh was soon in a tailspin, pounding a backhand well over the line to be broken to 2-0 as an emboldened Osaka raced to the finish.

While Osaka has suffered some major wobbles in the past, there was no hint of frustration despite Hsieh saving two match points. She bided her time to claim the win on the third when an overwhelmed Hsieh floated a sliced backhand long.

“I would say it makes me a bit more calm, realising that even when my back was against the wall, I still had chances,” said Osaka, who saved two match points in a cliffhanger against Garbine Muguruza in her previous match.

“Even today when I had two match points and she saved them … I was a bit more calm.”

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AUSTRALIAN OPEN: SERENA WILLIAMS, NAOMI OSAKA REACH QUARTER FINALS.

Serena Williams and Naomi Osaka both survived close battles to reach the quarter-finals of the Australian Open.

Third seed and title favourite Osaka saved two match points on her way to a 4-6 6-4 7-5 victory over last year’s runner-up Garbine Muguruza while Williams was a 6-4 2-6 6-4 winner against Aryna Sabalenka.

Seventh seed Sabalenka has been one of the form players of the last few months and many people have been waiting for the big-hitting Belarusian to make a grand slam breakthrough.

She fought back from 1-4 to draw level in the final set but Williams was just too strong in the end.

The 39-year-old, who is now again within touching distance of a record-equalling 24th grand slam singles title, said: “It felt good to kind of clutch that in the end and get through that.

“I just felt like even games that I lost, I was so close to winning. Not all games, but probably most of those games. I just needed to play better on the big points. I knew that I could. I still hadn’t reached my peak. I was like, ‘OK, Serena, you got this, just keep going’.”

Among Williams’ support camp is sister Venus and the 10th seed credited her sibling for keeping her calm.

“She’s really one of the only voices I hear,” said Serena. “I don’t know if I zone out and she’s the only one I hear. I know when I hear her voice, it just makes me calm and confident. I think there’s something about it that just makes me feel really good.”

Osaka hung on by the skin of her teeth against Muguruza, who was full of confidence after a strong start to the season.

The Spaniard led by a set and a break and held two match points at 5-3 in the deciding set only for Osaka, the 2019 champion in Melbourne, to pull through with a run of four games in a row.

Asked how she had dug herself out of trouble, the Japanese star said: “I’m not really sure, to be honest. I was just trying to fight for every point, then it sort of led me to win.

“On the first match point, I was just thinking that I didn’t hit a decent serve that entire game, so I should really focus on my serve. I feel like my serve stats were pretty good that set, so I was just telling myself to do better.

“Then on the second point, when the rally started, I just told myself not to push (the ball) but also don’t do something crazy and make a really bad unforced error.”

Osaka also credited a brief moment of temper for clearing her mind, saying: “I felt the entire match I was overthinking. There was a moment when I got angry and hit my racquet on the ground. I feel like I released a lot of the thoughts that I had. It just made me go more into instinct-based tennis.”

Osaka will next face the highly unconventional Hsieh Su-wei, who at 35 became the oldest player to reach a first slam quarter-final in the Open era with a 6-4 6-2 victory over Marketa Vondrousova.

Hsieh came close to beating Osaka at the Australian Open in 2019 and, asked what makes her challenging to play, the third seed said with a laugh: “Have you watched her play? It’s like, ‘What’?

“She’s one of those players that, for me, if it was a video game, I would want to select her character just to play as her. Because my mind can’t fathom the choices she makes when she’s on the court. It’s so fun to watch. It’s not fun to play, but it’s really fun to watch.”

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Nadal goes through to next round

Spain’s 12-time champion Rafael Nadal encountered few problems as he started the French Open with a three-set win over Belarusian Egor Gerasimov.

Nadal, 34, wrapped up a 6-4 6-4 6-2 victory in two hours five minutes against the world number 83, who was making his main-draw debut in Paris.

US Open champion Dominic Thiem also moved into the second round with a 6-4 6-3 6-3 win over Croatia’s Marin Cilic.

Russian fourth seed Daniil Medvedev is out after losing to Marton Fucsovics.

Thiem, who won his maiden Grand Slam title in New York a fortnight ago, has lost to Nadal in both of the past two finals at Roland Garros.

The pair have been drawn in the same half of the men’s singles, meaning they could only meet in the semi-finals this year.

Nadal is seeded second behind Serbia’s world number one Novak Djokovic and says the rearranged tournament will provide the “toughest conditions” yet for him.

The 19-time Grand Slam singles champion, who is aiming to move level with Roger Federer’s all-time leading men’s tally, has only played one clay-court event going into Roland Garros and the cooler conditions are not as beneficial to his game.

Although the scoreline against Gerasimov was comfortable, he was given a decent workout by the Belarusian.

“I’m not going to make a mistake – the attitude and motivation is always here,” Nadal said.

“It is a different Roland Garros to the one we are used to and the conditions are very challenging. I’m happy to be in the second round – it is a good start.”

American Mackenzie McDonald, ranked 211th, is Nadal’s next opponent.

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Serena moves on to next round

Serena Williams began her quest for a 24th Grand Slam singles title with a hard-fought win over Kristie Ahn in the French Open first round.

Sixth seed Williams, who turned 39 on Saturday, overcame a rusty start to beat her fellow American 7-6 (7-3) 6-0.

Once she came through a 74-minute opener, Williams began to play with more belief and clarity as she swept Ahn aside in a 27-minute second set.

Williams will play Bulgaria’s Tsvetana Pironkova in the second round in Paris.

Pironkova, 33, was handed a wildcard by Roland Garros organisers after a memorable run to the US Open quarter-finals – where she lost to Williams – in her first tournament since 2017 after giving birth.

Pironkova set up the rematch with a 6-3 6-3 win over Germany’s Andrea Petkovic.

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Naomi Osaka pulls out of French Open

US Open champion Naomi Osaka has pulled out of the French Open, which is scheduled to start on 27 September.

On Saturday, the Japanese player won her second US Open, and third Grand Slam title, with a 1-6 6-3 6-3 victory over Victoria Azarenka in New York.

She said in a statement: “I won’t be able to play at the French Open.

“My hamstring is still sore so I won’t have enough time to prepare for the clay. These two tournaments came too close to each other for me.”

The 22-year-old had her left hamstring wrapped in tape when she beat Azarenka in the final at Flushing Meadows.

The world number three, who won the Australian Open in 2019, has never gone beyond the third round at Roland Garros.

Earlier this month, world number one Ashleigh Barty announced she would not defend her French Open title, pulling out of the tournament because of coronavirus restrictions.

In the men’s draw, 20-time Grand Slam winner Roger Federer is the most high-profile absentee as he recovers from knee surgery.

On Thursday, French Open organisers cut the number of fans allowed to attend each day of the tournament to 5,000 because of surging coronavirus figures in the country.

The Paris tournament was moved from its original start date of 24 May because of the pandemic.

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Djokovic advances in US Open

September 7, 2018 - Novak Djokovic in action against Kei Nishikori during the 2018 US Open.

World number one Novak Djokovic began his pursuit of an 18th Grand Slam title with a straight-set win over Damir Dzumhur in the US Open first round.

The Serb, 33, raced through the opening set before being tested in the second on his way to a 6-1 6-4 6-1 win.

Djokovic is seeking to capitalise on the absence of fellow greats Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer in New York.

Among those likely to challenge him are Alexander Zverev and Stefanos Tsitsipas, who also won their openers.

Both of those players are chasing a maiden Grand Slam title, with Spain’s defending champion Nadal not playing because of coronavirus concerns and Swiss 20-time major champion Federer missing following knee surgery.

Djokovic will play Kyle Edmund in the second round after the British number two came from behind to beat Kazakhstan’s Alexander Bublik.

It will be the seventh meeting between the two – and their second at Flushing Meadows – with Edmund’s only victory over Djokovic coming on the Madrid clay in 2018.

“He has a really good serve and forehand, those are two big weapons,” said Djokovic. “I’ve had some really good matches in the past against him at Wimbledon, a tough four-setter a few years ago.

“He doesn’t feel so much pressure playing on the big court, obviously it’s different circumstances here, but he actually likes the challenge.

“His results were kind of up and down a little bit but I think he does have the game and the potential to be in the top 20 without a doubt, where I expect him to be soon.

“It’s going to be a tough one, I’m sure he has not so much to lose in that match and it’s important for me to start off well.”

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Andreescu will not defend her US Open title

Defending champion Bianca Andreescu has withdrawn from this year’s US Open because the coronavirus pandemic has hampered her return from injury.

The Canadian, 20, has not played since sustaining a knee injury at the WTA Finals in October.

The US Open will be held behind closed doors in New York from 31 August.

“I have made the difficult decision not to return to New York this year,” said Andreescu, who beat Serena Williams in last year’s final.

“I have taken this step in order to focus on my match fitness and ensure that I return ready to play at my highest level.”

Andreescu added that “unforeseen challenges” including the cancellation of events because of the coronavirus pandemic have “compromised my ability to prepare and compete to the degree necessary to play at my highest level”.

World number six Andreescu is the fourth women’s top 20 player to pull out of the US Open after world number one Ashleigh Barty, Elina Svitolina and Kiki Bertens, who are ranked fifth and seventh respectively.

World number two Simona Halep, from Romania, is not expected to play either.

However, 23-time Grand Slam champion Williams says she still plans to compete at the tournament.

Men’s world number one Novak Djokovic has confirmed he will play but defending champion Rafael Nadal pulled out citing concerns over coronavirus earlier this month, while Roger Federer is absent recovering from injury.

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Djokovic to contest US open

World number one Novak Djokovic has confirmed he will play at the US Open, which starts on 31 August, in New York.

Defending champion Rafael Nadal has already decided not to enter because of concerns about Covid-19, while five-time winner Roger Federer is recovering from knee surgery.

In June, Djokovic called the US Open’s coronavirus safety protocols “extreme”.

“It was not an easy decision to make, but the prospect of competing again makes me really excited,” he said.

Djokovic, who is president of the ATP Player Council, had previously questioned the protocols in place for the tournament to go ahead and spoke to organisers about his concerns.

The 33-year-old will arrive in the United States on 15 August to compete at the Western and Southern Open, which takes place in New York – instead of its usual Cincinnati home – from 20 to 28 August.

Both events are to be held without fans at Flushing Meadows, with players having to follow strict safety measures.

Despite those measures, a number of other players have followed Nadal in withdrawing, including women’s world number one Ashleigh Barty and fellow Australian Nick Kyrgios.

Former world number one Andy Murray is expected to compete after being granted a wildcard.

Djokovic has not played since apologising after he and three other players tested positive for Covid-19 at his own Adria Tour competition.

He later admitted it had been “too soon” to stage the tournament.