Four times four rounds: Djokovic goes back in time
Yes, Novak Djokovic is in the semifinals of the Australian Open. A habit for him since he is holding his 9th semi-final in Melbourne, stage of the competition from which he has never lost in the process. But the Serbian, affected in the abdominals, has not been so hung up to get there in Grand Slam for … 14 years! Four rounds against Frances Tiafoe, Milos Raonic and Alexander Zverev, five against Taylor Fritz, the world number one has not had a quiet fortnight so far, far from it. You had to go back to Wimbledon 2007 to see him drop a leg in four different matches on the road to the semi-finals. Since then, he had qualified 35 times in the semi-finals without dropping a set in more than three matches.
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Open d’Australie
Two years later, Tsitsipas dreams of a resounding revenge against Nadal
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AN HOUR AGO
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The pressure mounts against Zverev: Djokovic martyrs his racket
92%: Osaka rules its premieres
Naomi Osaka had no feelings on Tuesday against Su-wei Hsieh and his atypical game. The Taiwanese, the oldest player of the Open era to discover the quarterfinals in Grand Slam (35 years old), did not exist on the Rod Laver Arena (beaten 6-2, 6-2), especially at the relaunch since she failed to make the slightest break. The world number 3 was particularly effective behind her first ball, with 92% success, only two points lost out of 25 played. In this sector, she is at 79% of points gained since the start of the tournament (her previous best performance dated from her 2nd round against Caroline Garcia, 86%), which gives an idea of the importance of this weapon in her Thu. Especially in the fast conditions of Melbourne.
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In demonstration, Osaka choked Hsieh to slip into the last four
34/40: Karatsev on a very dynamic
On this Australian Open, Aslan Karatsev panics the numbers at each round passed. The first player to reach the semi-finals on his debut in a Grand Slam main draw, he racked up more wins in this fortnight than during the rest of his career – a full eight years. If it was impossible to anticipate such a course, it is nevertheless interesting to take a step back on the results of the 27-year-old Russian in recent months. Since resuming the circuits in August, he has built his current confidence by winning a series of victories (including two Challenger titles): 34 out of 40 matches (including qualifying) played, or 85% success. Among them, 7 were acquired on the ATP circuit, including 5 in Melbourne.
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The spectator Simona Halep
There was no spectator for this quarter-final between Serena Williams and Simona Halep. It would be severe to reduce the world number 2 to this status, but finally her 9 winning strokes over the whole of the two sets are very few. The Romanian tried to use the same strategy as in the final at Wimbledon 2019. Her 13 winning shots were enough to beat a Williams who had committed 26 unforced errors. The American did more this Thursday (33) but she made all the play. And ended up winning in two sets.
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Williams pushes Halep off course to semi-finals: video victory
Serena equals Federer’s record
They weigh between them 64 Grand Slam finals and now 724 victories in the four major tournaments. This Thursday, Serena Williams notched her 362nd Grand Slam victory by beating Simona Halep. A figure that makes him the equal of Roger Federer in victories at the Australian Open, Roland Garros, Wimbledon and the US Open. With the Swiss absent, the American has the opportunity to take one (then maybe two) successes ahead of Thursday against Naomi Osaka in the semi-finals.
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Open d’Australie
In the Cube with Nadal: “Tennis is not just about mathematics”
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2 HOURS AGO
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Open d’Australie
The Hits: “Karatsev has no ass in caviar, his humility is nice to see”
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2 HOURS AGO
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