GREEKY BLINDER
Tsitsipas finds nirvana in amazing win over Nadal
RAFA NADAL was struck down by Greek god Stefanos Tsitsipas to end his latest quest to make Grand Slam history.
World No.6 Tsitsipas claimed he entered a state of tennis nirvana after staging a dramatic comeback to win a five-set classic.
And the Australian Open yet again proved to be the Spaniard’s Achilles’ heel as he seeks a male record of 21 Major singles titles.
Nadal, who has only won once in Melbourne back in 2009, pledged to try to get better at the age of 34.
But Tsitsipas showed he is a future Major champion and will now face Russia’s Daniil Medvedev tomorrow for a place in Sunday’s final.
French Open winner Nadal had taken the first two sets comfortably.
But despite winning 27 points out of 28 on his service in a tight third set, he gifted the tie-break to the Greek after missing two overheads and the younger man then went the distance. The
World No.2 suffered more injury woe Down Under by entering the first Grand Slam of the year with a bad back.
But Nadal said: “Just another story in my tennis career.
“I missed a couple of balls in the tie-break that I shouldn’t.
“Physically I was not fantastic but not bad.
“I was able to fight until the end. I am not complaining about my luck here in Australia.
“Doesn’t matter the injuries that I had – I am a very lucky person. I didn’t deserve more. Just well done for him.”
Nadal (right) remains level with Roger Federer on 20 Major singles titles and will go out in front with a 14th French Open title in June.
“I have to go back home and practice to be better,” he said. Tsitsipas is only the second man after Fabio Fognini at the 2015 US Open to come back from two sets down to beat Nadal at a Grand Slam.
He was sensational in the final two sets and took his third match point with a heavenly backhand winner down the line.
It took Buddha until the age of 35 to achieve nirvana. Tsitsipas got there at the age of 22 in the Rod Laver Arena yesterday.
“I started very nervous but I don’t know what happened after the third set,” he said.
“I flew like a little bird. Nothing was going through my head. How would I describe myself? Nirvana.
“It was just there. Playing, not thinking.
“I played with no care, and that increased the level of tennis that I put out there.”
Nadal’s exit ensures Novak Djokovic will celebrate his 311th week as World No.1 next month to overtake Federer’s all-time record of 310. The Serb will today face world No.114 Aslan Karatsev who is seeking to become the first qualifier to reach a Grand Slam final in the Open era. World No.1 Djokovic admitted: “I honestly had not seen him play before the Australian Open.”
JOCKEYS based in Britain and Ireland will be housed in separate weighing rooms at Cheltenham next month, according to plans under discussion.
Riders from the two countries have shared the same changing room at racing’s major meetings since the sport returned from the coronavirus-enforced blackout at the start of June.
But, as part of a belt-and-braces COVID-19 protocol at the four-day Festival — which recognises the scale of Irish participation — they are set to be kept apart.
A spokesperson for the Jockey Club said yesterday: “We are currently in discussion regarding a series of protocols to help support Irish participants at The Festival supporting WellChild next month.”
Under the proposals, visiting Irish riders would occupy the ‘home’ dressing room, and Cheltenham Festival winner Sam Twiston-Davies said: “The main thing is that everybody is kept safe, so I’m sure there will be full co-operation from the jocks.” ■ PHILIP HOBBS (left) will monitor ground conditions at Prestbury Park before deciding on the Festival target for Scilly Isles Novices’ Chase victor Sporting John. The six-year-old is 8-1 for the two-and-a-half-mile Marsh Novices’ Chase and a 12-1 chance for the Brown Advisory Novices’ Chase over an extra four furlongs.