A spot in the Australian Open final – and the chance to become the least popular man in Australia, at least for one night – is at stake as Stefanos Tsitsipas faces Daniil Medvedev.
Tonight’s winner will face fan favourite Rafael Nadal in Sunday night’s final. Medvedev took the opening set 7-6(5), before melting down late in the second set which Tsitsipas won 6-4.
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Medvedev was both booed and siuuuu-ed on his way onto Rod Laver Arena with the crowd, featuring plenty of Melbourne’s Greek community, clearly on Tsitsipas’ side.
They were thrilled when the No.4 seed held to love to open the match.
Nine’s Jim Courier suggested the closed roof and cooler conditions would help Medvedev.
“They (the conditions) are so different to what they have been experiencing for their last four matches. It was so hot in the run-up. Even the night matches it was warm and the ball was travelling quickly. It was very tough physically on them,” he explained.
“It is closed tonight. Air conditioned. Very comfortable, no breeze. And what that does, although it is still so humid, it is tough to finish points. The ball is not as lively.
“The players don’t get to control the conditions but if they did, I think Tsitsipas, given that he played so well in the heat and so quickly and efficiently against (Jannik) Sinner, would love to have those type of (hot) conditions for his ball to be even more offensive against this immense defence on the other side of the net.
“These conditions are tailor-made for Medvedev, given the fatigue he must have in his body.”
Through four games, neither man was able to win a single point while returning; it took until 40-0 in the fifth game, when Medvedev got a very lucky net cord, for the receiver to get on the board.
Another net cord at 3-3 gave Medvedev a second point on Tsitsipas’ serve, but otherwise it went 34 points until a returner truly deserved a point.
“22 minutes for eight games in this semi-final – it’s been a sprint,” Courier said.
Then the script flipped as Medvedev earned three set points at 0-40 – an incredibly long rally proving crucial – before Tsitsipas managed to save all of them.
The Russian earned a fourth off a cross-court return that forced a Tsitsipas error, but a brutal first serve saved it for the Greek. In the end an eight and a half minute game saw him hold for 5-4.
Medvedev’s serve continued to be completely flawless; it took until 30-0 at 6-5 for Tsitsipas to finally win a point off it.
The Greek’s second point won off Medvedev’s serve for the match gave him a 2-0 lead in the tiebreak.
Medvedev got the mini-break back after a poor Tsitsipas volley allowed him to send home a passing shot for a winner at 4-4. After the pair held serve, Tsitsipas sent a forehand just wide, giving Medvedev the set 7-6(5).
Medvedev is 36-0 when winning the first set at hard court slams.
But after losing just two points on serve in the first set, Medvedev suddenly wobbled to open the second set, being broken by Tsitsipas for 1-0.
Medvedev came close to breaking back at 3-2, earning two break points at 15-40. Both were saved, but the Russian managed to earn two more – and his eighth break point of the night was the first he could convert.
But just when Medvedev was rolling, he allowed Tsitsipas to break for 5-4, meaning the Greek was two-for-two on break points for the match.
Medvedev then exploded at the chair umpire during the change of ends, complaining that Tsitsipas was receiving on-court coaching from his coach (Tsitsipas’ father).
“Bro, are you mad? Are you mad? For what? His father can coach every point? Are you stupid?” Medvedev yelled.
“His father can talk every point? His father can talk every point? His father can talk every point? His father can talk every point? Repeat answer to my question.
“Will you answer my question. Will you answer my question? Can you answer my question? Can you answer my question, please? Can his father talk every point?”
The umpire replied: “Not coach,” but Medvedev then continued with “Oh my god. Oh my god, you are so bad, man. How can you be so bad in a semifinal of a Grand Slam? Look at me. I’m talking to you!”
Tsitsipas has already received two coaching violations this tournament for his dad getting involved, meaning Medvedev’s complaint isn’t without merit overall.
Medvedev saved two set points at 40-15, with Tsitsipas escaping a deserved time violation on the second but receiving one on the ensuing point. Yet it didn’t stop him from holding to take the second set 6-4.
After the set Medvedev asked the umpire if he speaks Greek and then called him “a small cat” for not giving a code violation.
Medvedev didn’t reset properly after the set, delivering “one of the worst double-faults you’ll ever see” per Lleyton Hewitt and gifting Tsitsipas two break points, though he saved both.
PREVIEW
World No.2 Medvedev comes into tonight’s semi-final hoping it will be a simple repeat of last year, when he took down current world No.4 Tsitsipas in straight sets.
But on quarter-final form, it’s Tsitsipas who should be the favourite, after he breezed past Jannik Sinner in straight sets.
Medvedev in contrast had to fight from two sets down less than 48 hours ago, spending nearly five hours on court in his epic win over Felix Auger-Aliassime.
The Russian, who could be the world No.1 within weeks if he wins the Melbourne Park title, is trying to become the fifth active player to reach multiple Australian Open finals.
Tsitsipas is making his third appearance in the semi-finals here, losing to Medvedev in straights last year and to Rafael Nadal in straights in 2019.
Medvedev and Tsitsipas have a tumultuous history dating back to an on-court clash in 2018 which saw the pair hurling insults at each other.
AUSTRALIAN OPEN 2022 – Night 12 – Order of Play and Results
Night session from 7:30pm
Men’s Semi-Final: [4] Stefanos Tsitsipas (GRE) vs [2] Daniil Medvedev (RUS) 6-7(5) 6-4
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