SPORTS
Melbourne, 29-01-2022Medvedev once again stops the "Tsitsifast" train
For the second consecutive year, Daniil Medvedev proved to be an insurmountable obstacle for Stefanos Tsitsipas, in the semifinal of the Australian Open.
The Hellenic tennis player could not find answers to the very good blows of the Russian, who reached the final victory with 7-6 (5), 4-6, 6-4, 6-1 in 2 hours and 30 minutes. Medvedev will now look for his first title in Melbourne (and second overall in a Grand Slam) on Sunday (30/1), against Rafael Nadal, while Tsitsipas stops for the third time in the top four of the tournament and now has 1/5 in semifinals grand slam.
The Greek champion served first and until the eighth game, the 2 tennis players kept their serve (4-4) with characteristic ease. At that point and after 34. Hits in the fourth point, Medvedev came very close to the first break of the match, leading 40-0, but Tsitsipas was impressive and managed to get the game, with an impressive upset. The Russian tennis player equalized easily. Tsitsipas imitated him immediately and led 6-5, forcing the Russian to serve to stay in the set. Medvedev equalized 6-6 and the first set was judged to be a tie break. There Tsitsipas, who by then had taken just one point! In his opponent's serve, led 4-1, but Medvedev proved to be calmer and more capable, taking six of the next seven points and prevailing 7-5 in the tie break and 7-6 in the set in 47 minutes.
After losing the first set and to the applause of the Greek expatriates, Tsitsipas entered the court determined and "broke" Medvedev's serve in the first game, gaining a significant lead. Then, the two tennis players kept their serve, with the Greek champion leading 3-2. Medvedev reacted and managed to make a break in the sixth game, bringing the set "equal", while immediately after, he defended his serve and led 4-3. "Tsitsifast" not only tied at 4-4 without losing a point, but with a new break in Medvedev's serve, he gained a significant advantage, which he maintained to take the second set 6-4, in 37 minutes.
In the first game of the third set, Tsitsipas saved two break points and the match continued on a tightrope. The Russian was better in the details and, after 4-4, kept his serve without losing a point and led 0-40 in the 10th game, to take advantage of the second set-bowl and take the set with 6-4, after from 40 minutes.
Standing with his back to the wall, Stefanos Tsitsipas failed to react. He kept his serve only in the beginning, tying the game at 1-1, but then Medvedev dominated, took 5 consecutive games and reached 6-1 in just 24 minutes.
Daniil Medvedev will play Rafa Nadal for the Australian Open title on Sunday after a stirring victory over Greek fourth seed Stefanos Tsitsipas in the semi-final on Friday.
Should Medvedev defeat the Spanish great, he will become the first man in the Open era to win his first two Grand Slam titles in succession after his triumph in New York last September.
The Russian denied Novak Djokovic the calendar Grand Slam in the US Open final and will now seek to stop Nadal from setting an all-time men’s record of 21 Grand Slam titles.