Page 21 - AT

A21
SPORTS Thursday 30 January 2020
No. 1 Nadal upset by Thiem in Australian Open quarterfinals

By HOWARD FENDRICH The first two sets Wednes-
AP Tennis Writer day sets were remarkably
MELBOURNE, Australia (AP) similar: Nadal would go
— Outplayed at his own up by a break, then Thiem
brand of physical tennis for would break back and
much of the match, Rafael take it in a tiebreaker. The
Nadal finally claimed a set first lasted 67 minutes, the
to try to start a comeback second 69.
against Dominic Thiem. Nadal was flustered by a
Nadal marked the moment warning from chair umpire
by hopping in a crouch at Aurelie Tourte for a time
the baseline and vigor- violation, citing him for
ously pumping his right arm taking more than the al-
four times. lotted 25 seconds before
Soon, though, he was back serving. Nadal termed the
in trouble. And eventually, call "amazing," complain-
his bid to tie Roger Feder- ing that the previous point
er's record of 20 Grand was comprised of an ex-
Slam titles by winning the hausting 19 shots and so
Australian Open was over the clock shouldn't have
with a quarterfinal loss started when it did (some-
Wednesday to Thiem — a thing which is at the chair
younger version of Nadal umpire's discretion).
himself. "You don't like the good
Thiem's 7-6 (3), 7-6 (4), 4-6, tennis," he told Tourte. "You
7-6 (6) victory over the top- Austria's Dominic Thiem serves to Spain's Rafael Nadal during their quarterfinal match at the don't like the good tennis."
seeded Nadal lasted 4 Australian Open tennis championship in Melbourne, Australia, Wednesday, Jan. 29, 2020. Later, he gave Tourte a sar-
Associated Press
hours, 10 minutes because castic thumb's up after she
of so many lengthy, elec- He's won two at Wimble- Thiem managed to hang in match. told him he hesitated too
trifying points. One rather don, four at the U.S. Open there with Nadal on physi- Zverev reached his first long before trying to chal-
memorable one featured and 12 at the French Open. cal baseline exchanges, major semifinal anywhere lenge a line call.
Thiem stumbling onto his Asked what he wished he'd trading groundstroke for by overcoming a terrible Thiem's biggest hiccups
backside before popping done differently against groundstroke and picking start Wednesday and put- came as the end was near.
up and keeping the ball Thiem, Nadal replied: "Win the proper spots to move ting together a 1-6, 6-3, 6-4, There was the break that
in play until Nadal made a any tiebreak." forward. 6-2 victory over three-time ceded the third set, the
mistake. Thiem had been 0-5 against Or to describe it another Grand Slam champion one celebrated so enthusi-
"He's playing with a lot of Nadal at the majors, in- way: Thiem was out-Nad- Stan Wawrinka. astically by Nadal.
energy ... (and) determi- cluding losses in the final at al-ing Nadal, the ultimate So instead of Nadal, 33, There was another break
nation. So well done for Roland Garros each of the grinder who never met a against Wawrinka, 34, it'll be when Thiem served for the
him," Nadal said. "I honestly past two years. point that was too long or Zverev, 22, against Thiem, victory at 5-4 in the fourth
didn't play a bad match." But this one was different. too grueling. 26, a couple of members of but was undone by a series
Thiem reached his fifth ma- The defining statistic: Thiem "Even from difficult posi- the new generation trying of jitters-induced mistakes.
jor semifinal but first some- won exactly twice as many tions," Nadal said, prais- to collect a breakthrough There were three off-the-
where other than at the points that featured nine or ing Thiem's quickness and Slam title. mark forehands, with a
French Open, the place more shots, 24-12. power, "he was able to pro- "I think it's the first time I am double-fault mixed in for
that is Nadal's domain. "Just an unbelievable duce amazing shots." playing a Grand Slam semi- good measure.
Of more significance: The match. Like, epic," Thiem Now Thiem will play No. 7 final and I am the older "Such a really mentally
outcome ended Nadal's said. "A very high level from Alexander Zverev on Fri- player," Thiem said with a tough situation," Thiem said.
career-best streak of mak- both of us." day for a berth in the title chuckle. "Couldn't handle it."q
ing at least the semifinals at
seven consecutive Grand Coco Gauff to
Slam tournaments, a span
during which he earned play Indian Wells
three trophies.
chance against him, one for 1st time in March
"If you want to have a
of the all-time greats, ev-
erything needs to work in INDIAN WELLS, Calif. Open. Nine former cham-
your game," the fifth-seed- (AP) — Coco Gauff, the pions are among the field
ed Thiem said. 15-year-old rising Ameri- for the tournament that
The last time Nadal didn't can star, will make her first runs March 9-22 at the In-
get to the final four at a appearance at the BNP dian Wells Tennis Garden. United States' Coco Gauff, right, and compatriot Caty McNally
major? Also at the Austra- Paribas Open, joining all Last year's winners were play in their third round doubles match against Japan's Shuko
lian Open, where he also the top 75-ranked men's Dominic Thiem and Bi- Aoyama and Ena Shibahara at the Australian Open tennis
went out in the quarterfi- and women's players in anca Andreescu. Other championship in Melbourne, Australia, Monday, Jan. 27, 2020.
Associated Press
nals two years ago before the world. former winners are Novak
finishing as the runner-up Gauff reached the fourth Djokovic, Roger Federer, No. 1 Ash Barty is also tournament in March, the
to Novak Djokovic in 2019. round at the Australian Rafael Nadal, Naomi Osa- in the field announced top two American women
That was Nadal's fourth de- Open last week. Last ka, Simona Halep, Serena Wednesday. and men with the most
feat in a final at Melbourne year, she made the fourth Williams and Victoria Aza- The remaining spots in the points in the Oracle Chal-
Park since he won his lone round at Wimbledon and renka. draws will be filled by the lenger Series, and wild
title at the place in 2009. the third round at the U.S. Current women's world winners of the qualifying cards to be announced.q