MELBOURNE- Stefanos Tsitsipas closed in on a primary Grand Slam title by reaching the Australian Open semi-finals on Tuesday in spectacular trend, as Victoria Azarenka additionally powered into the final 4.

Tsitsipas was a convincing 6-3, 7-6 (7/2), 6-4 winner over unseeded Jiri Lehecka of the Czech Republic and faces Karen Khachanov subsequent.

The 24-year-old Tsitsipas is the very best remaining seed left at three and with Melbourne’s massive Greek neighborhood roaring him on, his title cost is gathering tempo.

“I’m feeling great with my tennis. I don’t think I felt so good in a long time,” stated Tsitsipas, after making the Australian Open semi-finals for a fourth time.

“I’m a different player, playing different. My mentality is different.”

Tsitsipas, who will turn into world primary ought to he win the title, was just about in management all through towards the 71st-ranked Lehecka.

But he did lose his cool at one level in the third set, smacking the ball into the wall after shedding a degree as a ball boy went to gather it close by.

“What I did, definitely I’m not happy about that. I shouldn’t have done it,” Tsitsipas stated concerning the incident.

The different quarter-final at Rod Laver Arena between Russia’s Khachanov and Sebastian Korda had been warming up properly till the American harm his wrist.

The 18th seed went by means of when Korda retired in the third set, down 7-6 (7/5), 6-3, 3-0.

The 22-year-old Korda, who had been making an attempt to emulate his father Petr’s Australian Open victory in 1998, stated afterwards that he might barely maintain the racquet.

He stated he first felt the damage whereas enjoying the Adelaide International this month, the place he made the ultimate and compelled a championship level earlier than being overwhelmed by Novak Djokovic.

But it had not bothered him in the opening 4 rounds at Melbourne Park till he hit a return in the second set.

“Volleying was almost impossible for me, so it was a little tough,” he stated.

For Khachanov it’s a second consecutive Grand Slam semi-final, having reached the final 4 on the 2022 US Open.

Nine-time Melbourne champion Djokovic remains to be on the scene, with a quarter-final towards Russian fifth seed Andrey Rublev on Wednesday.

The different quarter-final is an all-American conflict between Ben Shelton and Tommy Paul.

‘IT’S MY WEAPON’

Azarenka is again in the final 4 in Melbourne for the primary time since she received the match in 2013 and can face big-serving Elena Rybakina.

The Belarusian Azarenka, who additionally triumphed in 2012, secured a powerful straight-sets victory over Jessica Pegula.

Third seed Pegula was hotly tipped to win the title however the American merely had no solutions to Azarenka’s pounding forehand groundstrokes.

The 33-year-old Azarenka rolled again the years in a surprisingly one-sided quarter-final to triumph 6-4, 6-1.

“Well, it hurts to beat her because I always want her to do well,” the twenty fourth seed stated of Pegula, a detailed good friend and follow associate.

Asked how her younger son Leo would obtain his mum’s newest achievement, Azarenka stated: “He’s more worried about his football and when we’re going to play again.

“He positively desires his mum to be dwelling.”

Leo will have to wait at least a few more days because Azarenka faces Moscow-born Kazakh Rybakina on Thursday for a place in the final.

Rybakina blasted her way into the semi-finals with a ruthless 6-2, 6-4 win over Jelena Ostapenko.

The 23-year-old Rybakina sent down 11 aces to blow former French Open champion Ostapenko off court in 79 minutes.

The 22nd seed has blasted 35 aces so far, more than any other woman at the tournament.

Ominously, she said her serve is better now than when she won Wimbledon last year.

“I gained much more energy. It’s my weapon on the court docket and naturally we are attempting to work on it,” she stated.

MELBOURNE – Novak Djokovic returns to subsequent week’s Australian Open as heavy favorite and along with his ominous form in stark distinction to the struggles of defending champion Rafael Nadal.

A yr in the past Djokovic was consumed by a authorized battle over his COVID vaccination stance which he in the end misplaced and was deported on the eve of the Grand Slam.

It opened the door for nice rival Nadal on the Melbourne Park hardcourts, his thrilling five-set win over Daniil Medvedev in the ultimate incomes the Spaniard a report twenty first main crown.

The 36-year-old made it 22 when he clinched the French Open.

Serbia’s Djokovic, who’s a yr youthful, can draw stage on 22 Grand Slam triumphs if he turns into Australian champion for a record-extending tenth time.

He introduced a follow match towards Medvedev to an early conclusion on Wednesday to guard a hamstring niggle, however previous to that referred to as his preparations spot-on.

“I couldn’t ask for a better preparation and lead-up to the Australian Open,” stated Djokovic.

“I love playing in Australia. My results are a testament to that.”

Djokovic’s latest exploits, coupled with Nadal’s iffy form, the absence of injured world primary Carlos Alcaraz and final yr’s retirement of Roger Federer, undoubtedly make him the person to beat.

After ending a turbulent 2022 by profitable the ATP Finals, he got here via 5 powerful matches to raise the Adelaide International trophy on Sunday.

His fears of a hostile reception in Australia after the deportation saga have been alleviated by a heat welcome in Adelaide.

Djokovic faces Spain’s Seventy fifth-ranked Roberto Carballes Baena in his opening match.

NADAL STAYING POSITIVE

Nadal has been written off earlier than however is dealing with recent questions on whether or not age and damage are catching up with him.

The high seed faces a tough opening to the defence of his title towards promising 21-year-old Briton Jack Draper.

Spanish nice Nadal has misplaced six of his previous seven matches together with each on the latest United Cup, taking place to Cameron Norrie and Alex de Minaur.

Nadal, who’s striving to hitch Federer and Ken Rosewall as males’s main winners aged 36 or older, insisted he was not involved by his latest struggles.

“It’s true that the last couple of months I was not able to play much tennis and at the beginning of the season I lost two matches in Sydney,” he stated.

“But honestly, I am not unhappy with the preparation. I need to win matches, for sure, but the preparation is going quite well, practising a lot and I think I am in good shape.”

‘NO-ONE IS INVINCIBLE’

Russia’s Medvedev, runner-up in 2021 and 2022, is prime amongst different contenders.

The 2021 US Open champion has a love-hate relationship with the Melbourne crowd however pushed Nadal all the best way in final yr’s last.

World quantity 4 Stefanos Tsitsipas additionally poses a risk, with the Greek star eager to higher the Melbourne semi-finals he made in three of the final 4 years.

Still looking for an elusive first Grand Slam, Tsitsipas received all 4 matches on the United Cup, together with beating harmful Italian Matteo Berrettini.

Norway’s world quantity three Casper Ruud is one other seeking to snap the Djokovic-Nadal stranglehold after a breakthrough 2022 that noticed him make the French and US Open finals.

And there’s Nick Kyrgios, the house favorite and Wimbledon finalist who boasts huge expertise however has typically been let down by his temperament.

“No-one is invincible,” stated Djokovic, who defeated Kyrgios in the Wimbledon decider and will meet him in the final eight in Melbourne.

“We’ve seen the biggest tennis players in the history of the game lose some big matches.”

SYDNEY – World quantity two Rafael Nadal slumped to a second-straight defeat at the United Cup Monday in a setback to his Australian Open preparations, however Stefanos Tsitsipas and Iga Swiatek have been each on track.

There was additionally extra distress for former world quantity two Alexander Zverev, who, like Nadal, suffered a second loss to start out his season, this time at the palms of Taylor Fritz.

Spanish 22-time Grand Slam winner Nadal surprisingly crashed in his season-opening match on Saturday to 14th-ranked Cameron Norrie.

And he again succumbed after successful the primary set, taking place 3-6, 6-1, 7-5 to Australia’s Twenty fourth-ranked Alex De Minaur in Sydney, together with shedding six video games in a row within the second set.

“Honestly, I couldn’t be happier that I managed to get my first win over Rafa on this court, it’s no secret this is my favourite court in the world,” stated De Minaur.

“Rafa is a hell of a competitor and what he has been able to do for this sport is truly astounding so I’m just honoured. It’s a dream come true.”

It went with serve to 2-2 within the first set, however Nadal performed some unfastened pictures and a double fault handed De Minaur a break level, then he despatched a forehand lengthy to go 2-3 behind.

But the Australian could not maintain the strain and Nadal broke straight again.

After a gradual begin, the Spaniard discovered his groove and in a devastating burst received the following three video games to take the set.

De Minaur appeared deflated and was damaged again on his first serve of the second set, however he flicked a swap to reel off six video games in a row to go away Nadal shocked.

They exchanged breaks within the third set earlier than a string of unforced errors from Nadal allowed De Minaur to interrupt again for 6-5 and serve out for the win.

The mixed-team match options 18 nations taking part in in Sydney, Brisbane and Perth.

The winners of the 2 teams in every metropolis advance to a metropolis last on Wednesday, with whoever comes by that making the ultimate 4.

Neither Spain nor Australia can progress from Group D in Sydney, with Norrie’s Britain already the confirmed winner.

They will play the United States within the metropolis last after Fritz and Madison Keys put their nation by towards Germany.

RUSTY

World quantity 9 Fritz beat Zverev 6-1, 6-4 in simply 64 minutes.

It adopted the German’s loss to 81st-ranked Czech Jiri Lehecka on Saturday in his first aggressive match since tearing three proper ankle ligaments throughout his French Open semi-final towards Nadal in June.

“It was tough to judge my level because I feel he’s coming back from injury, he’s a bit rusty, he was giving me a lot of free points,” stated Fritz, who had a breakthrough yr in 2022 with titles at Indian Wells, Tokyo and Eastbourne.

“But I’m really happy with it.”

Keys swept previous Jule Niemeier 6-2, 6-3.

World primary Swiatek gave Poland a 1-0 lead towards Switzerland in a winner-takes-all tie that can resolve Group B in Brisbane, beating Belinda Bencic 6-3, 7-6 (7/3).

“I’m a perfectionist, but I’m super happy with my performance today,” stated Swiatek.

“On this fast surface it was really, really hard so I’m really happy that I could close it.”

Italy want a win towards eradicated Norway in Group E to advance at Brazil’s expense with Martina Trevisan delivering them an early lead by dispatching Malene Helgo 7-5, 3-6, 6-4.

In Perth, Belgium must defeat Greece at least 4-1 to qualify from Group A and Alison Van Uytvanck held off an impressed Despina Papamichail 7-5, 2-6, 6-3 to present them a 1-0 lead.

But world quantity 4 Tsitsipas continued his good early kind with a 6-3, 6-2 win over David Goffin to stage the tie.

“Playing David is never easy,” Tsitsipas stated. “I was relaxed and hung in there point after point.”