Greek Stefanos Tsitsipas will be hoping it is third time lucky in an Australian Open semi-final after his scintillating 6-3, 6-4, 6-2 victory against Jannik Sinner in the last eight on Wednesday (January 26) at Rod Laver Arena. The fourth seed, a semi-finalist in Melbourne in 2019 and 2021, was stretched to five sets by Taylor Fritz on Monday but showed no signs of fatigue in a match that started in blazing sunshine but finished under the roof after a storm hit.
The 23-year-old will play the winner of the quarter-final between Russian Daniil Medvedev and Canadian Felix Auger-Aliassime later on Wednesday. With Melbourne’s big Greek population, Tsitsipas has always drawn strong support at the Australian Open and it was the same again in the clash against Sinner.
“I think my humility helped a lot today. I knew I was going on the court facing a very good player. I tried to focus on my best shots and it paid off more than I thought,” he said in his on-court interview.
“Once again, stepping on to that court, having the crowd support, it is truly unbelievable.”
Statement made !!
@steftsitsipas puts in a flawless performance to defeat Jannik Sinner 6-3 6-4 6-2 and advance to his third #AusOpen semifinal.#AO2022 pic.twitter.com/oEHvMtsDRB
— #AusOpen (@AustralianOpen) January 26, 2022
A finalist at Roland Garros last year, Tsitsipas was troubled by elbow problems at the end of last season and was concerned he might not be able to play in Australia. “I am pretty sure my doctor is watching right now. He has been sending me texts after every single game,” he said.
“He said ‘I don’t expect to see you playing in Australia’. But I proved him wrong. I am happy I have found the right man to bring me back even stronger.”
Iga Swiatek outlasts Kaia Kanepi to set up last 4 date with Danielle Collins
French Open winner Iga Swiatek managed to temper her frustrations and rally from a set and a break down in brutal heat to overpower Estonian Kaia Kanepi 4-6, 7-6(2), 6-3 on Wednesday to reach her first Australian Open semi-final. Poland’s Swiatek will next meet 27th-seeded American Danielle Collins, who earlier defeated Frenchwoman Alize Cornet 7-5, 6-1, for a place in Saturday’s final at Melbourne Park.
In their first career meeting, Swiatek wasted breakpoint chances in each of Kanepi’s first three service games and it was the Estonian who converted her first chance in the seventh game to nose ahead. Swiatek saved four setpoints in the ninth game that lasted 16 minutes but could not stop Kanepi from taking the opener on her ninth opportunity after another lengthy game.
“In the first set I had so many breakpoints, I felt like I missed my chances because she broke me on her first breakpoint,” Swiatek said on court. “I was pretty annoyed. That was a mistake because I should have been focused on the future, on the next ball.”
Kanepi, 36, appeared set to progress beyond the last eight at a Grand Slam for the first time when she broke early in the second, with a frustrated Swiatek slapping herself and slamming her racquet on court. The Estonian did most of the damage with her powerful double-handed backhand, leaving Swiatek rooted to the spot and watching helplessly as the winners screamed past.
But the 2020 Roland Garros champion, who committed 12 double faults in the match, regained her composure and raised her level in a second set tiebreaker to level the contest at 1-1. Swiatek suffered two more breaks in the decider but managed to break 115th-ranked Kanepi four times, sealing the three-hour contest on her second match point when the Estonian sent a backhand wide for her 62nd unforced error.
(with Reuters inputs)
