It was the day of the fall of the gods at the Australian Open tennis.
The quarter-finals were fatal to world number 2, the Spaniard Rafa Nadal and the queen of the ranking, the Australian Ashley Barty.
Both were among the favorites for the title, but surprisingly they do not reach the semifinals.
Nadal was knocked out by Stefanos Tsitsipas, the No.
5 of the world, at the end of a 4-hour marathon, which for the Spaniard had actually started very well.
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Open Australia: Tsitsipas comeback, Nadal out in the quarterfinals
It seemed that only he was playing, and that the rival was on the other side of the net, but with his head elsewhere.
It took Nadal less than 40 minutes to dominate two sets with surprising ease, 6-3 and 6-2.
But at the start of the third set, Tsitsipas woke up and started playing, making the Spaniard run a lot.
From there it was a crescendo, Nadal opposed, held out, but the 22-year-old Tsitsipas took his hand, then a set (7-6), then another (6-4), finally the fifth and decisive set (7-5).
A fabulous comeback for the no.
5 in the world, a surprise debacle, a physical collapse for the 34-year-old Majorcan, who was trying to climb his second success in Australia, and instead finds himself incredibly out.
Only one other time in his career did Nadal get two sets back together in a Grand Slam, at the 2015 US Open with Fabio Fognini).
In the semifinal Tsitsipas will face Daniil Medvedev, n.
4 of the ranking, who this morning won the Russian derby against Andrej Rublev in the quarterfinals (7-5, 6-3, 6-2).
"I have no words, I rediscovered my tennis as if by magic. It is an incredible feeling to be able to fight at such a level and give everything on the field" Tsitsipas' joy.
"Obviously I didn't deserve more - said Nadal disappointed - Playing against the best you have to be ready for anything. I think Tsitsipas has raised the level a lot during the match. Congratulations to him, I have to go back to training to be better. It can happen. losing to someone like him, I can only congratulate. It will be for next time. "
Unexpected result even in the women's field.
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Open Australia: Muchova eliminates Barty and goes to the semifinals
The darling of the Barty house was paved by the Czech Carolina Muchova, n.
27 of the world with a heavy 1-6, 6-2 6-3.
There was no audience to support Barty (spectators will be back in the stands from tomorrow, after the 5-day mini-loockdown);
in the silence of the Rod Laver Arena the drama of an unrecognizable champion took place, humiliated by an outsider, who had never before gone beyond the second round in Melbourne.
And to say that on the pitch the one who was physically ill was Muchova, who at one point asked for a break to check her physical condition.
"My head was spinning at the end of the first set, I felt dizzy, they measured my pressure" explained Muchova who also applied ice to lower the temperature.
After the medical break, the Czech returned to the field reloaded and surprised Barty who was incredulous, but sportingly, at the end of the game she said that there was no problem for her rival's long medical stop, "it's in the rules. disappointed in having allowed that episode to become the turning point of the game ".
From donani away to the semifinals: no.
1 of the world Novak Djokovic will face Arslan Karatsev, the Russian coming from qualifying;
on Friday Tsitsipas and Medevdev will compete.
Also on Thursday Serena Williams will meet the Japanese Naomi Osaka, then it will be Muchova's turn against the American Jennifer Brady, who won the US derby with Jessica Pegula.