Men's singles semifinals
Stefanos Tsitsipas has his sights on a maiden Grand Slam title after surviving a late hiccup to keep Karen Khachanov at bay in the Australian Open semifinals on Friday.
Following his sole showing in a major final almost two years ago, the Greek earned another shot at glory following a 7-6(2) 6-4 6-7(6) 6-3 ledger against the former world No.8.
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Having flicked a switch to survive Jannik Sinner in the fourth round, the Greek has not dropped a set since, ending a three-match losing streak in the last four at Melbourne Park.
"I first watched Marcos Baghdatis do it (17) years ago, being in the final, playing on this court and I dreamt as a kid maybe one day getting to play on this court and competing against the best players in the world," Tsitsipas said.
"So I'm happy with the fight I put up there today, and it brings back memories from watching it as a kid on TV and cheering him on… I feel blessed for the fact that I'm able to play tennis at this level. I've been wanting for many years now to put Greek tennis on the map."
The build-up
Tsitsipas' and Khachanov's respective evolutions from highly-touted prospects to Grand Slam title contenders had followed wildly different trajectories, but both were keen to emphasise how much they had grown ahead of their sixth career showdown.
The 24-year-old Greek, despite being two years younger, had considerably more experience at this stage of a major.
A runner-up to Djokovic in Paris 19 months ago, he labelled the Australian Open his "home Slam", given Melbourne's large Greek population and his consistency at Melbourne Park, where he was through to his fourth semifinal in five years.
Khachanov had taken a steadier route to his first major semifinal at Flushing Meadows last year.
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It came in his 23rd Grand Slam main draw appearance, and with that hoodoo lifted he made it to the last four in consecutive majors after quarterfinal opponent Sebastian Korda retired with a wrist injury while trailing by two sets.
The former world No.8 said he had "reinvented" himself and that his self-confidence had soared since that US Open run.
He needed every ounce of that belief if he was to claim a first win in five meetings with the third seed and snap a 13-match losing streak against top-five opponents.
Story of the match
Consolidation proved elusive throughout a topsy-turvy opening set as both men struggled to build momentum.
Serving at 5-3, Tsitsipas had more to worry about than his opponent when he was handed a code violation warning for time wasting. It came back to bite him at a crucial moment two games later when he was pinged a second time and docked his first serve.
Neither player had conceded a tiebreak in this campaign, but something had to give. It was an errant Khachanov who blinked first.
Tsitsipas had never taken the opening set in his previous three Australian Open semifinal defeats, but after 56 minutes bucked that trend.
His opponent had not come from a set down all tournament, let alone two, and Khachanov was made to pay when he did not put away an overhead at 4-all in the second set.
The third seed turned the point around and ended a 22-shot rally on a forehand winner, which set off a streak of six straight points for a two-set lead.
When Tsitsipas broke for 2-1 in the third set, he lifted his fist skyward and stared down his box.
He had never lost a match at Melbourne Park from two sets up, but it mattered little to Khachanov.
The 18th seed had one last chance to break, and pounced as his opponent attempted to close it out.
The seeds of doubt were planted, and when Tsitsipas brought up two match points in the tiebreak, Khachanov saved both on pinpoint forehand winners on his way to a fourth set.
It was his last hurrah. Forty minutes later, the Greek brought up two more match points and advanced as the clock passed three hours and 21 minutes.
Key stats
As the end of the first set approached, both men had ramped up their average forehand topspin speeds on their five previous matches.
Khachanov had lifted 7km/h on previous rounds to 129km/h, while Tsitsipas had upped his from 129km/h to 132km/h.
MORE: Tsitsipas v Khachanov match statistics
In the third-set tiebreak, the Greek tightened up as the finish line neared. His average backhand topspin rate dipped 289rpm to 2489rpm.
While he conceded the set, it was not enough to turn the match. He finished winning 84 per cent of first-serve points to his opponent's 66 per cent and struck 26 forehand winners to Khachanov's 11.
What it means for Tsitsipas
At Roland Garros in 2021, Tsitsipas was overwhelmed when a steely Djokovic surged past him from two sets down.
In Sunday's final – his second at this level – the Greek has a shot at redemption when he meets the nine-time champion, who beat American Tommy Paul in straight sets in Friday's other semifinal.
Victory would also secure the world No.1 ranking.
"I like that number … It's a Grand Slam final, I'm fighting for the No.1 spot, it's a childhood dream to be capturing that No.1 spot one day," he said.
"I'm close. I'm happy that this opportunity comes here in Australia and not somewhere else, because this is a place of significance."
What next for Khachanov?
Prior to last year's US Open, Khachanov had only reached two major quarterfinals in 22 main draw showings.
Following his second successive major hardcourt semifinal, he shaved seven spots off his ranking to climb back to world No.13.
"I would definitely go with my head high," Khachanov said.
"Again, rest couple of days, think with my team for next schedule, again to have a team meeting to discuss those particular situations and moments on what we need to work.
"Hopefully I keep believing that I can pass this step next time, if I am in this situation, hopefully."