Rafael Nadal toppled by Stefanos Tsitsipas at Australian Open

But after storming through the first two sets and much of the third against the fifth-seeded Tsitsipas, Nadal played a calamitous tiebreak. Tsitsipas seized the gift, as well as the momentum, to pull off the upset, 3-6, 2-6, 7-6, 6-4, 7-5.

Nadal’s exit only enhances the chances that world No. 1 Novak Djokovic, an eight-time Australian Open champion who has looked the favorite all along, will close the gap on his career rivals and claim an 18th major on Sunday.

AD

AD

Djokovic’s remaining hurdles consist of a semifinal against Russian qualifier Asian Karatsev and, should he prevail, a Sunday final against the winner of the Tsitsipas-Daniil Medvedev semifinal.

Tsitsipas closed the victory on his third match point, with a backhand winner down the line.

“I have no words to describe what just happened on the court,” Tsitsipas told ESPN’s Jim Courier in an on-court interview and credited the victory to his ability to manage his emotions after starting out a jangle of nerves.

“My tennis speaks for itself. It’s an unbelievable feeling to be able to fight at such a level and just to be able to give it my all on the court.”

With the upset, the Greek matched his best performance in a Grand Slam, having reached the semifinals of the 2019 Australian Open in 2019 and 2020 French Open.

AD

AD

It was a match in which the momentum turned on a single point: A badly flubbed overhead by Nadal in the third-set tiebreak that triggered a rash of errors by the Spaniard, who netted backhand and badly mis-hit forehand.

The pivotal tiebreak sent what appeared on course for a straight sets victory into a fourth set.

Nadal didn’t utter a peep, but took his seat, changed his shirt and sent a clutch of rackets off the court for restringing.

Tsitsipas was the dominant player in every regard in the fourth set, while Nadal’s intensity waned.

Nadal entered the tournament without his customary rigorous practices. He was also nursing a back injury.

As the match wore on, Tsitsipas won the longer rallies, while Nadal, looking fretful, started to press, trying to shorten points and committing errors in the process.

“I don’t know what happened after the third set,” Tsitsipas told Courier. “I just fly like a little bird. Everything was working for me.”

A decisive fifth set followed at Rod Laver Arena, which under covid-19 protocols was empty, apart from the players’ coaches and essential team members. It was tight, with momentum swinging back and forth.

But Tsitsipas stood tall.