Stefanos Tsitsipas (ATP 4) was the first to qualify for the Australian Open final. The 24-year-old Greek, third seed in Melbourne, beat Russian Karen Khachanov (ATP 20) in four sets.
It became 7-6 (7/2), 6-4, 6-7 (6/8) and 6-3. The match at Rod Laver Arena lasted three hours and 21 minutes. It was the sixth duel between the two tennis players. Tsitsipas had also finished off the previous five in his favor.
On Sunday, the Greek will play for the title against the Serbian Novak Djokovic (ATP 5), nine-time winner of the Australian Open, or the American Tommy Paul (ATP 35). It is Tsitsipas’ second Grand Slam final. In 2021 he had to give up the title in Roland Garros to Djokovic.
At the Australian Open, Tsitsipas was in the semifinals for the fourth time on Friday. Both last year and 2021 and 2019 meant the last stage for the Greek.
The 26-year-old Khachanov, the eighteenth seedling, was in the last four for the first time in his seventh appearance at the Australian Open. At the end of last season, the Russian also reached the semifinals of the US Open, which he lost to Norwegian Casper Ruud. Khachanov has yet to play in a Grand Slam final.
Source : HLN