Nadal closes in on 21 grand slam wins.
Matteo Berrettini wins 1st ever set against Nadal.
Daniil Medvedev advances to the final round of the Australian Open.
The Semi-Finals of the 2022 Australian Open left tennis fans worldwide amazed at the superb level of tennis displayed throughout the penultimate round of the tournament. Here is a brief rundown of the events:
Nadal closes in on 21 grand slam wins
On Thursday, January 27, Rafael Nadal and Matteo Berrettini went head to head in a tantalizing game of tennis. The Spaniard, who in the previous round had called for a medical timeout, displayed minimal signs of fatigue or weakness in his semi-final round match. The result of which culminated in him securing a spot in the finals of the men’s tournament.
Rafael Nadal, if he wins, will record his 21st grand slam title, which will break the 20 grand slam title tie between himself, Novak Djokovic and Roger Federer.
Ending in favour of Nadal, the first set concluded in just over 45 minutes. Managing to eclipse the forehand power of the Italian giant, Nadal quickly secured the second set as well.
Berrettini, who is also known for powerful and precise serves, managed to deliver 14 aces throughout the match. Some of which allowed him to have a minor victory in claiming the third set against Nadal, which is also, historically, his first ever set victory against the Spaniard.
Nevertheless, Nadal recalculated his approach and ended the game, 6-3, 6-2, 3-6, 6-3.
Rafa scenes 💪#AusOpen • #AO2022 pic.twitter.com/n4FVdJTK3f
— #AusOpen (@AustralianOpen) January 28, 2022
Daniil Medvedev on the verge of a 2nd Slam title
Medvedev and Stefanos Tsitsipas both had a lot to gain from winning this semi-final match, which ultimately ended in favour of the Russian, 7-6, 4-6, 6-4, 6-1. Stefanos Tsitsipas, who was eliminated, will now have to look to Roland Garros to continue his quest to achieve his 1st ever Grand Slam win.
Not only is it about winning the Slam, it is also about bragging rights between the two. In history, of the 8 other times that these two men have met, Medvedev has won 6 of those matches. Today’s result mirrors the 2021 Australian Open semi-final outcome, where Tsitsipas was eliminated from the tournament by the Russian, but in that exchange he lost in straight sets.
Medvedev, with this win, will have one more obstacle to overcome before he can attain his 2nd Grand Slam title. That obstacle being Rafael Nadal.
Both men seem to be in form, playing exceptional tennis since the start of the tournament.
However, despite the outcome, there is no doubt that this match-up will inspire many and will be a satisfactory end to this year’s edition of the Australian Open.
Welcome to championship weekend 🏆#AusOpen • #AO2022 pic.twitter.com/7GjVMgYHD4
— #AusOpen (@AustralianOpen) January 28, 2022