Impressive Tsitsipas to face Khachanov in Australian Open semis

MELBOURNE: Stefanos Tsitsipas closed in on a first Grand Slam title by reaching the Australian Open semi-finals on Tuesday in impressive fashion, as Victoria Azarenka also powered into the last four. Tsitsipas was a convincing 6-3, 7-6 (7/2), 6-4 winner over unseeded Jiri Lehecka of the Czech Republic and faces Karen Khachanov next. The 24-year-old Tsitsipas is the highest remaining seed left at three and with Melbourne's large Greek community roaring him on, his title charge is gathering pace.

"I'm feeling great with my tennis. I don't think I felt so good in a long time," said Tsitsipas, after making the Australian Open semi-finals for a fourth time. "I'm a different player, playing different.

My mentality is different." Tsitsipas, who will become world number one should he win the title, was pretty much in control throughout against the 71st-ranked Lehecka. But he did lose his cool at one point in the third set, smacking the ball into the wall after losing a point as a ball boy went to collect it nearby. "What I did, definitely I'm not happy about that.

I shouldn't have done it," Tsitsipas said about the incident. The other quarter-final at Rod Laver Arena between Russia's Khachanov and Sebastian Korda had been warming up nicely until the American hurt his wrist. The 18th seed went through when Korda retired in the third set, down 7-6 (7/5), 6-3, 3-0.

The 22-year-old Korda, who had been attempting to emulate his father Petr's Australian Open victory in 1998, said afterwards that he could barely hold the racquet. He said he first felt the injury while playing the Adelaide International this month, where he made the final and forced a championship point before being beaten by Novak Djokovic. But it had not bothered him