World number two Rafael Nadal showed his class in a straight-set rout of Greek sensation Stefanos Tsitsipas to enter the 2019 Australian Open final.
This will be the fifth final at the Australian Open for Nadal, who has won the title just once before this.
The 32-year-old, who had a difficult time with injuries in 2018, missing or withdrawing from a long list of tournaments, crashed the Tsitsipas party with a 6-2, 6-4, 6-0 win in a match that lasted just one hour and 46 minutes.
This was against the same opponent who had taken out Roger Federer and Roberto Bautista Agut but fell woefully short of challenging the second seeded Spaniard.
Such was Nadal’s domination over the Greek that he smashed 28 winners, broke Tsitsipas six times and more than anything else, had just one break-point against him.
What this win has meant is that Nadal has made the final without dropping a set, and spending an average of two hours per match across the six wins, losing just 2.7 games per set played.
When asked about his wins over the youngsters, Alex di Minaur, Frances Tiafoe and Stefanos Tsitsipas, he said:
“They are improving every month. It’s always a challenge to play them. But that’s the beautiful thing about this sport, we are able to share generations.”
Nadal has won the Australian Open just once and it came way back in 2009. Another victory here will make him the first ever player in the history of Open era to win all four Grand Slams on at least two occasions apiece.
In the final, Nadal will take on either Novak Djokovic or debutant Lucas Pouille. Djokovic himself is gunning for his seventh title at the Australian Open, which is a record of its own.
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