Australian Open 2015: Twitter Reacts to Day 9 Bracket Results, Scores, Winners
Two men and two women punched their tickets to the 2015 Australian Open semifinals on Day 9, but one of the all-time greats is packing his bags after a surprising defeat.
No. 3-seeded Rafael Nadal was taken down by No. 7 Tomas Berdych in three sets, which means Rafa's pursuit of a second Aussie Open crown has reached a premature conclusion. In other men's singles news, though, No. 6 Andy Murray may have established himself as the favorite to reach the final in his half of the draw.
On the women's side, No. 2 Maria Sharapova continued her hot play by taking out No. 7 Eugenie Bouchard. She will meet Russian countrywoman Ekaterina Makarova in the semis after the No. 10 seed upset No. 3 Simona Halep.
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Following an exciting and unpredictable day of tennis at Melbourne Park, here is a look at the top results and storylines Down Under.
Day 9 Men's Singles Results
| No. 7 Tomas Berdych | No. 3 Rafael Nadal | 6-2, 6-0, 7-6 |
| No. 6 Andy Murray | Nick Kyrgios | 6-3, 7-6, 6-3 |
Day 9 Women's Singles Results
| No. 10 Ekaterina Makarova | No. 3 Simona Halep | 6-4, 6-0 |
| No. 2 Maria Sharapova | No. 7 Eugenie Bouchard | 6-3, 6-2 |
Rafael Nadal Upset by Tomas Berdych
Despite battling through injuries and inconsistent play, Nadal managed to advance to the quarterfinals at the Australian Open. That is where his run ended, though, as he was stopped by Berdych on Day 9 in a 6-2, 6-0, 7-6 shellacking.
There was definite concern regarding Nadal's health and form entering the 2015 Aussie Open, and things came to a head against Berdych. The talented Czech came flying out of the gates, and Rafa was simply never able to gain his footing until it was too late.
With the win over Nadal, Berdych has now reached the semifinals at the Australian Open for the second consecutive year, which is something that he has never done at a Grand Slam tournament.
Also, Berdych ended a long drought by defeating the Spanish superstar, according to BBC Sport:
It can certainly be argued that the 29-year-old Berdych is playing the best tennis of his career right now. He lucked out to some degree by not having to face a seeded player until Nadal in the quarters, but he has been dominant nonetheless, per SportsCenter:
As for Nadal, he looked listless during the match. It was somewhat surprising since he rebounded with a pair of impressive, straight-set victories after nearly getting eliminated by American Tim Smyczek in the second round.
Ultimately, Rafa made no excuses for his quarterfinal loss and admitted that Berdych simply beat him, according to Nick McCarvel of USA Today:
While it can be argued that Nadal was nowhere near his best, Berdych deserves all the credit in the world for taking down one of the best players the sport has to offer.
Berdych is now just one win away from reaching the second Grand Slam final of his career, and while there may not be a ton of belief that he can win it all, he certainly has a legitimate chance if the effort he put forth on Day 9 continues.
Maria Sharapova Cruises into Semis
There were huge question marks surrounding Sharapova after a second-round match that saw her come one point away from being eliminated, but the ravishing Russian has rebounded in a big way since then, including a sterling performance in the quarterfinals.
Sharapova wiped the floor with Bouchard to the tune of a 6-3, 6-2 victory, which puts her back in the Australian Open semis for the first time since 2013.
Bouchard is viewed by many to be the next Sharapova due to her unique blend of ability and good looks, but the world's No. 2 player made it clear that she is far from ready to concede her spot. Sharapova was always in control, and Bouchard was simply no match on this particular day.
Sharapova is well known for her skill in terms of overcoming a deficit, but that wasn't needed on Day 9. She also happens to be a very strong front-runner, as evidenced by this statistic, courtesy of ESPN Stats & Info:
Few could have envisioned this happening just one week ago when Sharapova was on the verge of getting ousted by relative unknown Alexandra Panova. Following that near disaster, Sharapova revealed that she received a phone call from her father that essentially reminded her that she needed to raise her level of play, per Carole Bouchard of The Yellow Ball Corner:
Although Serena Williams may still be the favorite in this tournament, Sharapova proved against Bouchard that she is in good enough form to win the Australian Open for the second time. In order to get that chance, though, she will have to go through Makarova.
The No. 10 seed had little trouble eliminating Halep in the quarters, which sets up an intriguing clash between tall, lanky Russians.
According to WTA on Twitter, Sharapova has dominated the rivalry to this point:
With that said, Sharapova can't afford to take the semifinal match for granted. If she can maintain that intensity that she has displayed since the second round, though, she will be very tough to beat.
Andy Murray Ousts Australian Fan Favorite
All signs pointed toward Murray having the toughest road to an Australian Open title in the men's draw, but after blowing past beloved Aussie Nick Kyrgios in the quarterfinals, the talented Brit is now just two wins away from seizing the Australian Open crown for the first time.
The crowd was firmly behind the young Kyrgios, as expected, but that simply didn't impact Murray. He won comfortably by a score of 6-3, 7-6, 6-3, and winning it all suddenly doesn't look quite as daunting.
Murray has had somewhat good fortune in that he has avoided both Nadal and Roger Federer, but he has beaten everyone put in front of him. According to the Australian Open on Twitter, Murray is well aware of the favorable position he has put himself in:
Although he has yet to win an Aussie Open title, Murray has always performed well in Melbourne. Per BBC Tennis, few players have reached more Australian Open semifinals than Murray now that he has qualified for his fifth:
Kyrgios had a spectacular run in front of his home fans, but he ran into a buzz saw on Day 9. The 19-year-old gained some valuable experience, though, and he realizes that being part of such a big match could help him immensely moving forward, according to AusOpen.com.
"Yeah, it was a really good experience. That was my first Aussie Open Grand Slam match playing on Rod Laver, so that was really cool. But he was way too good for me tonight. There are some things I can take from that match and get better at. Yeah, he was just way too good for me.
"
It would have been tough for anyone to beat Murray in the quarters, which bodes well for his chances moving forward. He will face the similarly red-hot Berdych in the semifinals, which is a match that Murray figures to be favored in.
Assuming he can win that contest, a finals tilt with Novak Djokovic, Milos Raonic, Stanislas Wawrinka or Kei Nishikori awaits. Based on how well Murray is playing, he will have a legitimate shot regardless of who he faces.
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