Indian Wells: October 7 to 16

Australian Open 2020 – Semifinals

A look at the Australian Open 2020 quarter-finals

The dust has settled, and now we finally know who’ll be competing in the Australian Open 2020 semi-finals. 

The last quarter-final matches were played today, and now we’re eagerly looking ahead at the semi-finals. 

But before we tune in for the semi-finals, let’s have a look at what transpired these last few days. Here’s what went down in the quarter-finals of the Australian Open 2020.

Stan Wawrinka v Alexander Zverev

It was a triumphant quarter-final for Alexander Zverev as the 22-year-old German had his first Grand Slam breakthrough. 

Having won 11 ATP Tour titles, it was only a question of time before Zverev would play his first ATP semi-final. And that moment came yesterday as he beat No. 15 seed Stan Wawrinka.

Zverev didn’t get off to a good start in the set of his Australian Open quarter-final. However, ‘Sascha’ managed to turn things around and secure his first-ever Grand Slam semi-final spot with a win of 1-6 6-3 6-4 6-2.

Zverev’s slow start made this an exciting bout, in which he managed to come back from a slow start, only to turn the tides and please fans by becoming of the last four of a Grand Slam.

Tennys Sandgren v Roger Federer

For Tennys Sandgren, Tuesday meant a setback as the American lost to Roger Federer. The match lasted for three hours and 37 minutes, and when it was all said and done, No.3-ranked Federer walked away with a 6-3, 2-6, 2-6, 7-6(8), 6-3 win.

This was Sandgrens second Australian Open quarter-final in three years, and after yet another missed opportunity, Sandgren states he’s going back to the drawing board. 

Sandgren had three opportunities to clear the match on Federer’s serve at 5-4 in the 4th set. He also had another four changes in the tie-break that followed. However, the 20-time Grand Slam winner stepped up his game when it really mattered and managed to reach the Australian Open semi-finals for the 15th time.

Federer faced more than a bit of adversity in the match, as Sandgren held seven match points in the fourth set and a groin strain forced him to take a medical time out in the third set. Federer states that his mindset helped him deal with these adversities and that he felt as though he still had plenty left in the gas tank going into the fifth set. 

Despite injuries, the Swiss superstar managed to persevere, turn the match around and live to fight another day. He now faces seven-time champion, Novak Djokovic, in the semi-finals.

Novak Djokovic v Milos Raonic

No. 2 ranked Serb Novak Djokovic beat No. 35 ranked Canadian Milos Raonic and thus secured a clash against Roger Federer in the Australian Open semi-finals. This was Novak’s tenth win out of ten matches against Raonic, and this time the game was settled within two hours and 49 minutes.

The win brings Djokovic one step closer to setting a record this year. If the 32-year old Serb lifts the trophy on Sunday, he’ll become the third man to win a Grand Slam event on eight or more occasions. This would put him in the same league as Roland Garros, Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer as far as records are concerned.

Djokovic now has to take on rival Federer for the 50th time. So far, Djokovic leads the rivalry with a score of 26-23. However, in their last match-up, Federer beat the Serbian in straight sets at the Nitto ATP Finals in London.

It’s safe to say, Djokovic is well-aware of the tough opposition that awaits him in the semi-finals.

Dominic Thiem v Rafael Nadal

No. 5-ranked Austrian Dominic Thiem secured his place in the Australian Open 2020 semi-finals by beating No.-1 ranked Spaniard superstar Rafael Nadal. He will now go head-to-head with Alexander Zverev in for a place in the finals.

Spectators seem to agree that Thiem choked under pressure at times, but the Austrian managed to push through and secure the victory. Thiem will now play in the finals for the first time, after beating Rafael Nadal 7-6 7-6 4-6 7-6.

Thiem won 78 per cent of first-serve points, and the match lasted for four hours and ten minutes. This marks Thiem’s first victory over the Spaniard since 2016, as he’s previously lost in the past two Roland Garros finals.

Not only did Thiem send the No. 1 seed packing, but he also halted Nadal’s trajectory of catching up on Roger Federer’s all-time record of 20 Grand Slam titles. Nadal’s defeat also means that rival Novak Djokovic regains the World No. 1 FedEx ATP Ranking if he brings home the trophy on Sunday. 

The match between Thiem and Zverev takes place at Rod Laver Arena, Melbourne at 09:30 CET, Friday the 31st.