The Last Time no members of the ‘Big 4’ were in the semifinals of a major
2004 - It has almost been 14 years since there was a Grand Slam semifinal that did not consist of at least one of Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal, Andy Murray and Novak Djokovic. The tournament was the French Open in 2004, Federer was ranked at No.1 and was the only member of the foursome at the event. He would fall to three-time French Open champion Gustavo Kuerten 6-4 6-4 6-4 in the third round.
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Rafael Nadal was already turning heads as a 17-year-old after defeating the seemingly invincible Swiss in Miami a few months earlier, but he missed the event due to a stress fracture in his ankle. Murray and Djokovic were yet to make their Grand Slam debuts.
The semifinals at Roland Garros held three Argentineans and a Brit, with No.8 seed David Nalbandian meeting unseeded Gaston Gaudio and third seed Guillermo Coria taking on Tim Henman. Gaudio would go on to defeat Coria 0-6 3-6 6-4 6-1 8-6 in one of the most thrilling Grand Slam finals of the Open Era.
Day 10 preview: Lights, camera, action
Should Federer fall to Tomas Berdych on Wednesday night it will mark the end of a near 14-year run of at least one of tennis’ ‘Fab 4’ in a Grand Slam semi.
The Last Time two unseeded males met in an Australian Open quarterfinal
1999 - Almost 20 years have gone by without seeing two unseeded men battle it out in the quarterfinals at Melbourne Park. In 1999 it happened twice, with German Tommy Haas taking on American Vincent Spadea, and Swede Thomas Enqvist facing Switzerland’s Marc Rossett. Haas and Enqvist would both prevail in straight sets, with the German falling to eventual champion Yevgeny Kafelnikov in the final four. Enqvist went on to defeat Colombian Nicolas Lapentti, who was also unseeded before falling to Kafelnikov in the final. Hyeon Chung and Tennys Sangdren will break the drought when they meet on Day 10.
The Last Time a Czech woman made the final of the Australian Open
1991 - Karolina Pliskova has the chance to end a 27-year wait at Melbourne Park. She could become the first woman from the Czech Republic to reach the Australian Open final since the late Jana Novotna in 1991. That year the Czech 10th seed dazzled her way to the championship match with successive wins over top seed Steffi Graf and No.6 seed Arantxa Sanchez Vicario before going down in three sets to Monica Seles. It is safe to say the Czech Republic is long overdue for a women’s finalist at Melbourne Park, will it be Pliskova in 2018?
The Last Time an American male reached the semifinals in Melbourne
2009 - If you were asked to name the American most likely to reach the semifinals in the men’s draw at Melbourne Park, Tennys Sangdren would have been near the bottom of your list, yet here he is in the quarterfinals, one win away from the final four. He has the chance to become the first man from USA to venture to the semis since Andy Roddick in 2009. The former world No.1 would fall to his nemesis Roger Federer in straight sets, making him winless from four attempts when reaching the semifinal stage at the Australian Open. Can Sangdren continue his golden run against Hyeon Chung on Day 10?
