Rafael Nadal defeats Stefanos Tsitsipas to reach Australian Open final
Written by News on 24/01/2019
Rafael Nadal powered into his fifth Australian Open final by ending Stefanos Tsitsipas’ run in their semi-final meeting.
World No 2 Nadal won 6-2 6-4 6-0 and will vie for the Grand Slam title against either Novak Djokovic or Lucas Pouille.
Twenty-year-old Tsitsipas created headlines by eliminating Roger Federer earlier this week but his memorable streak came to an emphatic halt against Nadal.
The 2009 Australian Open champion Nadal still has not dropped a set at this year’s tournament. He needed just 31 minutes against Tsitsipas to win the opening set, dropping three points on his first serve in the process.
Tsitsipas displayed some mettle in the second set but, when Nadal eventually broke his serve, it became one-way traffic.
Seventeen-time Grand Slam champion Nadal coasted through the final set, with Tsitsipas’ spark finally gone, without losing a game.
Nadal will next play his 25th Grand Slam final. If he wins, Nadal would have two titles at each Grand Slam which neither Djokovic nor Federer has managed.
Djokovic and Pouille play their semi-final on Friday morning.
(c) Sky News 2019: Rafael Nadal defeats Stefanos Tsitsipas to reach Australian Open final
