Rafael Nadal Upset by Stefanos Tsitsipas in 5 Sets at 2021 Australian Open

Stefanos Tsitsipas advanced to the semifinals of the 2021 Australian Open with a hard-fought five-set victory Wednesday over Rafael Nadal at Melbourne Park.  

Nadal, the tournament's No. 2 seed, took the first two sets in routine fashion before fifth-seeded Tsitsipas stormed back to win the third set in a tiebreak and captured the fourth set to send the match the distance.

The fifth set remained on serve until Tsitsipas scored a late break to take a 6-5 advantage, and he proceeded to serve out the match to eliminate the 20-time Grand Slam champion 3-6, 2-6, 7-6, 6-4, 7-5.

He advances to face No. 4 seed Daniil Medvedev in the penultimate round Friday. The other semifinal will feature top-ranked Novak Djokovic against unseeded qualifier Aslan Karatsev on Thursday.

Nadal entered the Australian Open with a back injury, which increased the importance of trying to avoid long matches like the quarterfinal. Tsitsipas seemingly got stronger as the Melbourne night wore on, and the 34-year-old Spanish superstar couldn't keep pace.

The Greek rising star was tremendous in the fifth set, tallying seven aces and 18 winners with just eight unforced errors. He faced tension with Nadal earning a break point in the final game, but he saved it and got the job done on his third match point.

Nadal didn't play poorly by any stretch. He finished the match with 15 aces, more winners than unforced errors (58-42) and he won 84 percent of points at the net (21 of 25).

The 2009 Australian Open champion couldn't find a way to knock out Tsitsipas in the third-set tiebreaker, however, and the match slowly slipped away.

Tsitsipas, 22, is heading to a major semifinal for the third time. He's seeking his first appearance in a Grand Slam final.

Medvedev holds a 5-1 advantage, but they haven't faced off since 2019, and Tsitsipas won that most recent encounter.

It's a true toss-up for the right to play in the final, where Djokovic will likely be waiting.