It was another day of upsets at the Happy Slam. Upset, yes, you could say about Grigor Dimitrov and Elina Svitolina who were outplayed by their opponents. But agony is the word that comes to mind, to describe, what happened to Rafael Nadal. When it seemed like the Spanish conquistador was primed for an epic five-setter with the six-foot-five Marin Cilic, his right leg started to hurt. The pain seemed to increase rapidly as Nadal winced and stumbled in the first two games of the fifth set. But, despite thousands egging him on at the Rod Laver Arena, the world No 1 couldn’t go on. That was agonising.
More of what happened on day 9:
The Big News
Nadal stumbles out with leg injury
World No 1 Rafael Nadal retired with a leg injury handing Marin Cilic passage into his second Australian Open semi-final on Tuesday. This is the sixth seed’s second semi-final in Melbourne.
Cilic won 3-6, 6-3, 6-7 (5), 6-2, 2-0 on Rod Laver Arena and will face Britain’s Kyle Edmund for a place in the final on Thursday.
It was the second time Nadal has retired at the Australian Open after quitting against Andy Murray in 2010 with a knee injury. Nadal’s exit meant that Cilic is now in his first Australian semi-final in eight years.
Little separated Nadal and big-hitting Cilic until the injury struck, as they traded ferocious groundstrokes in an intense battle.
Unseeded Edmund takes down Dimitrov
Kyle Edmund became only the sixth British man to reach a Grand Slam semi-final with an upset win over world No 3 Grigor Dimitrov at the Australian Open. The unseeded Edmund, ranked 49, won 6-4, 3-6, 6-3, 6-4 on Rod Laver Arena and will face Marin Cilic for a place in the final. With another British Grand Slam semi-finalist Tim Henman watching on in the stands, 23-year-old Edmund troubled Dimitrov with his powerful forehand and serve.
Mertins takes down Svitolina in straight sets
Unseeded Australian Open debutant Elise Mertens blew away world number four Elina Svitolina in straight sets on Tuesday to reach a first Grand Slam semi-final.
The Belgian world number 37 knocked out the Ukrainian 6-4, 6-0 in 1hr 13min. She will face either second seed Caroline Wozniacki for a place in Saturday’s final. She will head into the semi-final on a 10-match winning streak after defending her Hobart title on the eve of the Australian Open.
Shot of the day
From the sidelines
Mertenks thanks Clijsters after entering semis
The unseeded Elise Mertens blew away world number four Elina Svitolina 6-4, 6-0 to reach her first Grand Slam semi-final.
Mertens, 22, trains at the Clijsters Academy back home and revealed she had been receiving messages of advice from the four-time Grand Slam winner.
“Yeah, of course, a lot of time. She has been here before. She has the experience, so it’s always nice to talk to her,” she said of Clijsters who lifted the Australian Open crown in 2011 as well as three US Open titles.
“And also, for the emotions, to see what she has to tell me or can, yeah, communicate.”
World number 37 Mertens is on a 10-match unbeaten run in 2018 after becoming the first Belgian to make the last four since Clijsters in 2012.
“Her and Justine Henin... what they achieved was amazing, and of course I look up to them,” Mertens said.
Flurry of injuries on tour worries Rafa
After an agonizing end to his campaign, world No 1 Rafael Nadal said tour organisers had to do something about the growing number of injuries among players after the withdrawals of Andy Murray and Kei Nishikori before the tournament and Novak Djokovic struggling ahead of his exit on Monday.
“Somebody who is running the tour should think a little bit about what’s going on. Too many people are getting injured,” Nadal said.
“I don’t know if they think a little bit about the health of the players. I don’t know if we keep playing on these very hard surfaces what’s going to happen in the future with our lives.”
From one Belgian to another
Since Kim Clijsters’ hard-fought win over Li Na in the 2011 edition, no Belgian has had success at Slams. Kirsten Flipkens came close at Wimbledon in 2013 before being halted by the eventual champion Marion Bartoli. That, till today, was the best result by a Belgian in Slams. So Flipkens was happy to hear her name when Elise Mertens beat Elina Svitolina en route to the semi-finals.
“Great fighter, mover, all rounder. Agressive when she can, defensive when she has to. Right decisions on the right balls. And above all that, with her feet on the ground,” she said about Elise Mertens.
Quotable Quotes
“Sun or wind or anything, it does not bother me. I really need to think about it.”
–Grigor Dimitrov’s reply when asked if it was the sun that didn’t let him serve well.
“I know what it feels like to be Andy Murray for the last eight years or however long.”
–Kyle Edmund on the expected media attention after his quarter-final win.
“I’d laugh a little bit.”
–World No 37 Elise Mertens, when asked how she’d respond if someone told her that she’d make the semi-final, ahead of the tournament.
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