There’s no doubt who the crowd favourite is in the Australian Open men’s semi-final, but the boos weren’t fazing Daniil Medvedev.
Daniil Medvedev is into the final of the Australian Open after beating Stefanos Tsitsipas 6-4 6-2 7-5 on Friday night.
The Russian will play Novak Djokovic in the decider on Sunday night after completing his demolition job in two hours and nine minutes.
Here’s how the match played out.
THIRD SET: UMPIRE REBUKES RAUCOUS MELBOURNE CROWD
Medvedev ruthlessly continued along his merry way in the third set, breaking for a 2-0 lead as he went in for the kill.
Tsitsipas later saved multiple break points to hold for 2-3, but was still on the back foot.
The Greek star held up Medvedev before the start of the sixth game, then the Russian returned the favour, delaying his serve even when his opponent was set.
This gamesmanship sparked more boos from the Melbourne crowd — who had earlier issued the same treatment in the first set as they barracked for Tsitsipas.
The support gave the fifth seed a boost and he broke for the first time in the match, sending the fans wild as the set evened out at 3-3.
Tsitsipas went up 4-3 and had a break point, sending the crowd into raptures once again, but the pro-Greek crowd was a little too boisterous for the umpire’s liking. James Keothavong told the raucous spectators while it’s “great” they’re so enthusiastic, he reminded them of the need to remain quiet during points and be fair to both players.
Medvedev produced a breathtaking backhand passing shot down the line to break again, giving him a 6-5 lead before he served out the match.
SECOND SET: STEFANOS LOSES HIS COOL
Medvedev broke early in the second set, looking far more comfortable than his rival.
He went up 2-1 with a break, prompting Tsitsipas to throw his water bottle on the ground at the change of ends, only for water to spray all over the court.
He received a soft verbal warning from the umpire and play was delayed while ballkids cleaned up the court — but a smug-looking Medvedev asked why the Greek star didn’t receive an official warning.
Medvedev was winning his service games with ease, rattling off rapid points while Tsitsipas struggled to achieve the same dominance off his own racquet.
Medvedev’s hot streak continued as he secured a double break to go up 5-2 then breezed through another service game to take a two-sets-to-love lead.
FIRST SET: BOOS RING OUT AS MEDVEDEV DRAWS FIRST BLOOD
Both players had little trouble holding serve to start the match, things progressing evenly towards 2-2 before Medvedev landed the first significant blow by breaking first for a 3-2 advantage.
Sections of the pro-Greek crowd at Rod Laver Arena booed Medvedev at times, but they must not remember how hostile crowds spurred him to the US Open final in 2019.
To be fair, the boos were hardly going to blow the roof off, but the cheers that erupted every time Tsitsipas won a key point made it clear who was enjoying the majority of the support.
Sports writer Zenia D’Cunha tweeted: “The extremely pro-Tsitsipas, Greek-flag waving crowd at #AusOpen — literally booing Medvedev — might give him US Open 2019 flashbacks and we all know how that turned out!”
The Russian wasn’t fazed, going on to maintain his break advantage and win the first set 6-4.
UGLY FEUD BEHIND BLOCKBUSTER MATCH-UP
Tsitsipas — who recently revealed a gross detail about his luscious hair — and Medvedev first met on court at Miami in 2018 and have played six times, with Medvedev leading their series with five wins.
But Tsitsipas, who came back from two sets down to shock 20-time grand slam champion Rafael Nadal in the quarter-finals, won their last encounter at the ATP Tour Finals in 2019.
A war of words erupted at that first encounter in Miami, with the Greek star’s mid-match toilet break and lack of apology after benefiting from a net cord infuriating Medvedev.
Tsitsipas reportedly called his rival a “bulls*** Russian” who should “know your place”, sparking a furious response after the pair shook hands at the net.
“Man, you better shut the f*** up, OK?” Medvedev.
“Hey Stefanos, do you want to look at me and talk? You go emergency toilet for five minutes during and then you hit (the net) and you don’t say sorry. You think you are a good kid? Look at me. Hey, look at me. You don’t look at me?”
Addressing the umpire, Medvedev continued: “He started it. He said ‘Bulls*** Russian’. Do you think this is normal? I answer him, because he doesn’t know how to fight. He’s a small kid who doesn’t know how to fight.”
The pair’s feud was reignited after their 2019 clash in Shanghai, when the Greek lashed out at the Russian’s “boring” play, with his big serve and relentless baseline rallies.
Tsitsipas has changed his mind now, with the 25-year-old on a 19-match win streak dating back to November.
“Medvedev is going to be a difficult task. He’s in very good shape, playing good tennis, playing accurate, playing simple,” said Tsitsipas.
“Might have said in the past that he plays boring, but I don’t really think he plays boring.
“He just plays extremely smart and outplays you.”
The 22-year-old Tsitsipas was two sets down and seemed to be heading for defeat against Nadal before launching an astonishing comeback to go through 3-6 2-6 7-6 (7-4) 6-4 7-5 in four hours and five minutes.
“Stefanos is an amazing player, big serve, great volley,” said Medvedev, who beat fellow Russian Andrey Rublev over three sets in his quarter-final.
“Tough to play. I think he’s improving physically because maybe two years ago could say, yeah, out of five sets it’s maybe not bad to play him. I don’t think it’s the case right now.”
Both men head into the semi-final bidding for a maiden grand slam title. Tsitsipas has never gone beyond a semi-final before, falling to Nadal in the last four at the 2019 Australian Open and to Djokovic at Roland Garros last year.
He has his sights set on becoming the youngest grand slam champion since Djokovic won the title at Melbourne Park in 2008 and the first Greek, man or woman, to lift a major trophy.
Medvedev will be playing his first semi in Melbourne as he continues to knock on the door of grand slam success, having reached the 2019 US Open final, where he was pipped in five sets by Nadal, and the last four in New York in 2020.
With AFP
