Stefanos Set for Semifinal Against Nadal
AGONAsport previews Stefanos Tsitsipas’ Australian Open semifinal match against world number two Rafael Nadal.
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Tsitsipas, seeded 14th, will face the Spaniard for the third time in his career. The first time was in April of last year, when Nadal routed the then 63rd-ranked Greek 6-2 6-1 in final of the Barcelona Open on clay. In August, the two met again in the final of the Rogers Cup in Toronto, on a hard court. Once again, the Spaniard came out victorious, winning it 6-2 7-6 over the then 27th-ranked Tsitsipas. Greek fans will hope that the third time is the charm for their player, as he looks for his first win over Nadal in Thursday’s semifinal.
The match will be played at 7:30 pm local time in Melbourne, meaning 10:30 am for those in Greece, and 3:30 am for those in New York, Toronto, Montreal, Boston, etc. It will certainly be a difficult match for Tsitsipas, but playing at night should give him an advantage as the conditions won’t be as brutal as they would be during the day. Given that Nadal is extremely fit and has not dropped a set all tournament, fatigue could play a factor, so playing at night is vital for Tsitsipas’ chances. Nadal has played a total of 15 sets in five matches, while Tsitsipas has played 20 sets in five matches. Playing five sets less than the Greek should definitely give the Spaniard an edge, as he will be more fresh for this match.
Playing a night match could lead to a more energetic Greek crowd, which could benefit Tsitsipas. Melbourne has the largest Greek population of any city outside Greece, and local Greeks have come out in droves to support Tsitsipas at every match throughout the tournament so far.
Although Nadal will be the heavy favorite to win the match, there are reasons for Tsitsipas fans to have hope that the young Greek could pull off the upset. First and foremost, Nadal has only won the Australian Open once (2009). He has won all other Grand Slams at least twice, so this is clearly his worst Grand Slam out of the four. Second, Tsitsipas has a very good record against top players. Despite having never beaten Nadal before, he has beaten other top players such as Novak Djokovic, Alexander Zverev, and of course, Roger Federer. He has clearly shown that he is not intimidated against the top players, and often raises his level when playing against them. He should be full of confidence going into the match, and should feel no pressure as the underdog.
On the other hand, Tsitsipas does not have a great record against left-handed players, and Nadal happens to be left-handed. That being said, if the Greek can serve well, his chances to win will greatly increase. It’s no coincidence that many of his big wins came in matches where he did not drop his serve, so a good serving day is crucial for Tsitsipas. He will also need to play aggressive tennis, come to the net frequently, and keep the points short if he is to win this match.
Should he win, Tsitsipas would not only reach the final, but also break into the top 10. Currently at a career-high ranking of 15, Tsitsipas is guaranteed to move up to a new career-high even with a loss. He would go up to either number 12 or 13, depending on other results, if he does not beat Nadal.
