Medvedev sees off Tsitsipas to march into Australian Open final

Saturday, 20 February 2021 00:01 - - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}

Daniil Medvedev in action during his semi final match against Greece's Stefanos Tsitsipas - Reuters

MELBOURNE (Reuters): Russia’s Daniil Medvedev lived up to Novak Djokovic’s praise as the “man to beat” at the Australian Open when he charged into his first Melbourne Park final with an impressive 6-4 6-2 7-5 win over Stefanos Tsitsipas on Friday.

The rangy Medvedev wrapped the Greek fifth seed in a blanket of pressure at a floodlit Rod Laver Arena, capturing his 20th successive victory and 12th straight over top 10 opponents to earn a shot at ending Djokovic’s dynasty in Sunday’s decider.

Fourth seed Medvedev served like a machine until broken in the third set, which revived the Greek fans in the terraces as Tsitsipas roared to a 5-4 lead.

But the Russian silenced a hostile crowd with the decisive break in the 11th game, then smacked a forehand into the corner on his first match point to seal it.

World number one Djokovic, who beat Russian qualifier Aslan Karatsev to reach the final, will be a formidable opponent for Medvedev in his second Grand Slam showpiece match.

Serbian Djokovic is bidding for a record-extending ninth Australian Open title and has never lost a final in Melbourne.