MELBOURNE. – A commanding Stefanos Tsitsipas reached the Australian Open semifinals for the fourth time as the Greek saw off rising Czech Jiri Lehecka 6-3, 7-6(2), 6-4 on Tuesday.
The third seed dominated the opening set after breaking a nervy Lehecka early on but was pushed hard after that against the 21-year-old who has enjoyed a breakout tournament.
Lehecka, who had never won a Grand Slam match before arriving in Melbourne, used his powerful baseline game to stay with Tsitsipas in the second set but the Greek raised his game to ease through the tiebreak.
Tsitsipas was forced to save three successive break points at 3-3 in the third set as Lehecka threatened to extend the Rod Laver Arena clash.
The 24-year-old then pounced with Lehecka serving at 4-5, reaching match point with a searing backhand pass and wrapping up victory as his opponent netted a backhand.
Tsitsipas will face Russian Karen Khachanov in the semifinal when he will again enjoy strong support from the many Greek-origin fans in Melbourne.
In women’s play, a disbelieving Magda Linette continued her dream run at the Australian Open with a stunning victory over former world No. 1 Karolina Pliskova 6-3, 7-5 to move into the semifinals, where she will play fifth seed Aryna Sabalenka.
Sabalenka, the only top-10 seed left in the draw, earned her place in the last four by outmuscling Donna Vekic 6-3, 6-2 in a ferocious battle of big hitters in the second match on a baking Rod Laver Arena.
“I can say it was a fair dinkum type of performance,” Tsitsipas said on court. “It felt different this time from the other time we played but I found a solution.
“I had to deal with groundstrokes that were coming at me heavy and deep. I put my heart out there.”
Lehecka, who enjoyed impressive wins against seeded players Borna Coric, Cameron Norrie and Felix Auger-Aliassime during his run, will rue not taking any of eight break points.
His big chance came when Tsitsipas double faulted to go 0-40 down at 3-3 in the third set, but he was unable to convert any of them and after that the writing was on the wall.
Tsitsipas loves the Melbourne fortnight and has looked in top form this year, winning four of his five matches so far in straight sets with only Jannick Sinner able to extend him in a five-set clash in the last 16.
The Belarusian might have her hands full against unheralded Linette, who played wonderfully controlled tennis that belied her ranking of 45th in the world to wrap up a thoroughly deserved victory over Pliskova.
Linette had been expected to play second fiddle to fellow Pole Iga Swiatek at Melbourne Park but will now play a first Grand Slam semifinal on Thursday in a match that will decide who meets Victoria Azarenka or Elena Rybakina in the final. — Reuters
