Czech-mate: Tsitsipas ends giant-killer’s Open run, continues title charge

Czech-mate: Tsitsipas ends giant-killer’s Open run, continues title charge

At 24, Stefanos Tsitsipas has graduated from the revolving Next Generation.

The Greek star’s Australian coach Mark Philippoussis instead references maturity and experience as his secret weapons these days as he tries finally to advance past the semi-finals at Melbourne Park.

Tsitsipas, the highest-ranked player left in the draw at No.4, will have a fourth chance to make the Australian Open men’s singles final thanks to a hard-fought 6-3, 7-6 (7-2), 6-4 dismissal of giant-killing Czech Jiri Lehecka on Tuesday night.

He needed both those qualities Philippoussis highlighted ahead of his quarter-final, which he swung firmly in his favour with a clutch performance in the second-set tiebreak that was packed with breathtaking winners after Lehecka seemed poised to level the contest.

“It felt different this time from any other match, but the most important thing at the end is that I found a solution,” Tsitsipas said.

“It was a very difficult three-setter; one of the most difficult ones I had so far in the competition. Jiri had a very good tournament. He is someone who has started playing well recently, and I wish him the very best in the future because he is a great player.

Stefanos Tsitsipas is through to the semi-finals.Credit:Eddie Jim

“It became a very crucial moment in that particular tiebreak, I think, of who is going to get back into the match. The way I saw it; that was my opportunity to really take a massive lead there, and I am very happy with the way I closed the second set.”

And what word did Tsitsipas use to explain how he stepped up in that match-defining tiebreak? “Experience,” of course.

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But Tsitsipas’ 71st-ranked rival – who will move inside the world’s top 40 next week – had fistfuls of chances, failing to convert five break points in the fourth game of the second set, then three more from 0-40 in the seventh game of the next set.

Neither moment killed Lehecka’s resistance, but not capitalising cruelled his hopes of joining Ivan Lendl, Tomas Berdych, Petr Korda and Jiri Novak as the only Czech men to reach a semi-final at Melbourne Park.

After not facing a break point since dropping serve at the start of the match, Lehecka eventually wilted when he dumped a backhand into the net on Tsitsipas’ first match point.

Either Tsitsipas or Russia’s Karen Khachanov – who progressed to consecutive grand slam semi-finals at American Sebastian Korda’s expense – will play in their first Australian Open final on Sunday night.

Tsitsipas remains perfect in six career grand slam quarter-finals, but his sole final from those opportunities was at the 2021 French Open, where he agonisingly lost from two sets up against Novak Djokovic.

The desperation from all quarters for someone, anyone, to dethrone the “Big Three” of Djokovic, Rafael Nadal and (while he was still playing) Roger Federer means patience runs too thin at times.

Former “Next Gen” members Tsitsipas, Alex Zverev, Daniil Medvedev, Casper Ruud and Andrey Rublev have all enjoyed plenty of success, but only Medvedev owns a grand slam title from that group.

The new world No.1 Carlos Alcaraz is only 19 and has one already, while the likes of Holger Rune and Jannik Sinner are also rising fast, so harsh labels such as “Lost Gen” have started being thrown around.

But Tsitsipas eliminated Sinner from the Open for the second straight year two nights ago – although he needed four hours and five sets this time – and has now put a stop to 21-year-old Lehecka’s brilliant run, which included upsetting Borna Coric, Cameron Norrie and Felix Auger-Aliassime.

The unspoken message was simple: They might be coming but Tsitsipas is part of the “Now Gen” and has a huge opportunity in front of him in the coming days.

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