Stefanos Tsitsipas has charged into his fourth Australian Open semi-final in 5 years as he chases an elusive breakthrough grand slam title.
Tsitsipas labored his means by means of the gears towards Jiri Lehecka on Rod Laver Arena on Tuesday night time to deliver the younger Czech’s fairytale run to a grinding halt with a formidable and mature 6-3 7-6 (7-2) 6-4 victory.
The No.3 seed is the highest-ranked participant left at Melbourne Park and can face Russian Karen Khachanov for a spot within the ultimate.
“It felt different this time from any other match but the most important thing is I found a solution,” Tsitsipas mentioned.
“It was a very difficult three-setter, one of the most difficult ones I had so far in the competition.
“I needed to cope with the bottom strokes, they had been coming over the racquet from the opposite facet of the courtroom a lot heavier, a lot deeper.
“So that was a task in which I really had to put my heart out there and give it my best.”
Tsitsipas reeled off the primary set in simply 36 minutes and appeared in ominous kind.
To Lehecka’s credit score, the 21-year-old, who beforehand accounted for Felix Auger-Aliassime and Cameron Norrie, took it as much as the Greek star within the subsequent set.
But Tsitsipas kicked up a gear, reeling off the primary 4 factors of the tiebreak and claiming the set comfortably.
“It became a very crucial moment in that particular tiebreak of who is going to get back into the match,” he mentioned.
The means I noticed it, that was my alternative to actually take a large lead there and I’m actually pleased with the way in which I closed the second set.”
Lehecka earned three break points at 3-3 in the third set but Tsitsipas showed impressive composure to haul back the game and take the lead.
The 24-year-old earned his first match point when receiving at 5-4 in the third set and converted it.
He will subsequent tackle 18th seed Khachanov, who was main Sebastian Korda 7-6 (7-5) 6-3 3-0 when the American retired with a wrist damage.
