Jannik Sinner secured a convincing victory in the early hours of Wednesday, defeating Andrey Rublev in straight sets to advance to his first Australian Open semi-final in Melbourne.
The Italian fourth seed displayed a formidable performance, particularly on serve, as he triumphed 6-4, 7-6 (7/5), 6-3 against the Russian fifth seed on Rod Laver Arena.
Sinner's impressive win sets the stage for a challenging semi-final showdown against the defending champion, Novak Djokovic.
The upcoming clash promises to be a formidable test for the Italian player as he aims to make his mark in the tournament and compete against one of the tennis greats in the quest for the Australian Open title.
"It's obviously very tough to play against him," said Sinner. "We've had tough matches in the past.
"Today was three sets but I could have lost both (the first two). First set, he had so many break points and I somehow served really well. I just tried to move him around.
"I'm just trying to start aggressive. It went my way today so really happy."
Sinner claimed the first set with a single break, but the pivotal moment in the match occurred when he mounted an extraordinary comeback from 5-1 down in the second set tie-break.
Sinner won six consecutive points, seizing firm control of the match. A highlight of this surge was a remarkable cross-court winner at the conclusion of a dramatic 24-point rally.
The 22-year-old Italian, now into his second Grand Slam semi-final after reaching the last four at Wimbledon in the previous year, joins Matteo Berrettini as only the second Italian man to achieve this feat in Melbourne.
While facing the daunting task of playing against the 10-time champion Djokovic in the semi-finals, Sinner draws comfort from a previous victory over the Serbian in the Davis Cup in November.
The defeat in Melbourne marks heartbreak for 26-year-old Rublev, who has now experienced disappointment in all 10 attempts to win a Grand Slam quarter-final.
(With AFP inputs)
