Huge surprise in Melbourne on Tuesday.
The Russian Aslan Karatsev, 114th player in the world and resulting from the qualifications, took out in the quarter-finals the Bulgarian Grigor Dimitrov (21st), whom he beat in four sets.
In the semifinals, he will challenge the world No.1 Novak Djokovic or the German Alexander Zverev (7th).
At 27, he becomes the first player in the Open era to make a place for himself in the last four in his very first Grand Slam.
He is also the lowest ranked player to invite to Melbourne for thirty years.
He became only the fifth qualifier to reach the major tournament semifinals in the Open era, second only at the Australian Open (after Australian Bob Giltinan in 1977).
"It's an incredible feeling, first Grand Slam, first semi-final, it's incredible," reacted Aslan Karatsev without effusion.
Before this Australian fortnight, he had won only three matches on the main circuit since the start of his career!
To earn his place in the main draw in Melbourne, he went through qualifying, which exceptionally took place in Doha in mid-January.
Title
He successively eliminated the world No.9 Diego Schwartzman in the third round, the Canadian promise Félix Auger-Aliassime (19th) by recovering a delay of two sets to zero in the round of 16, then Dimitrov in the quarterfinals.
The Bulgarian appeared seriously affected in the lower back in the third set, until he was unable to serve at the very end of the set.
Handled off the court before the fourth set, he was no longer able to compete afterwards.
Although he broke quickly to lead 2-1 in the first set, Karatsev appeared in difficulty first against the Bulgarian: he conceded six consecutive games afterwards, and seemed close to breaking point in the second set.
But he stuck, and his Bulgarian opponent, who had not hinted at any particular physical difficulties at the start of the game, suddenly lost his footing.
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“The start was very difficult, I was very nervous, and the heat was a bit too hot.
Then I recovered in the second set, and in the third, he hurt.
I didn't know he was injured, ”explained Karatsev, who ultimately won 2-6, 6-4, 6-1, 6-2.
Dimitrov remained on an expeditious success against world No.3 Dominic Thiem in the previous round.
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His incredible journey will allow Karatsev to leap to the top 40 in the ATP ranking.
His qualification ensures Russian tennis to have two representatives in the last four, since another quarter-finals will oppose Daniil Medvedev to Andrey Rublev on Wednesday.
This will be the third time in the Open era, following the 2001 and 2006 US Open.
