Vintage Nadal schooling young Italian

Nadal can give himself a shot at becoming the first man to win 21 Grand Slam titles, providing he can get past the Italian.

The 35-year-old Spanish gladiator is two wins away from getting the jump on fellow 20-time Grand Slam champions and “big three” rivals Novak Djokovic and Roger Federer in the race to become greatest male player in tennis history.

FIRST SET

NADAL 4-1 BERRETTINI

Berrettini is getting a lesson in ‘respect your elders’ right now. Like a deer in headlights the opening couple of games, the Italian is trailing. Broken on his opening service game, the youngster is a little wobbly so far this afternoon.

Big question for Nadal will be around fitness. Having been pushed to five gruelling sets in the quarters can he back up today?

ROD LAVER ARENA

Day session – From 12:00pm AEDT

Mixed Doubles • Final

J. Fourlis WC

J. Kubler WC

K. Mladenovic 5

I. Dodig 5

Day session – Not before 2:30pm AEDT

Men’s Singles • semi-finals

M. Berrettini 7

R. Nadal 6

Night session – From 7:30pm AEDT

Men’s Singles • semi-finals

S. Tsitsipas 4

D. Medvedev 2

1:30PM AUSSIE FINALS HEARTBREAK

Australia has suffered a second finals defeat at the Australian Open in as many days, with Jamiee Fourlis and Jason Jason Kubler losing in straight sets while chasing the mixed doubles crown.

The Aussie underdogs went down 6-3 6-4 to the fifth seeds, France’s Kristina Mladenovic and Croatian Ivan Dodig, joining quad wheelchair king Dylan Alcott in finishing a runner-up at this year’s tournament.

The unseeded Australians snatched an early break on Rod Laver Arena, but were broken back twice to concede the first set in 35 minutes.

Their more fancied rivals carried that moment into the second set, with Mladenovic sealing the win with a fine volley after a tense match point to claim her 25th doubles title – and second Australian Open gong.

Dodig, a three-time slam mixed doubles champion, claimed his first title at Melbourne Park.

Australia has more finalists to come, with Ash Barty contesting her first Australian Open final in the women’s singles, and the Matt Ebden-Max Purcell partnership taking on Thanasi Kokkinakis and Nick Kyrgios in the men’s doubles on Saturday.

GOOD MORNING: Men’s semi finals day and also some Aussies in the mixed doubles final

Iga Swiatek said she came up against the fastest balls she has ever faced after being blown off court by the raw power of Danielle Collins to miss out on an Australian Open final Thursday.

The Polish seventh seed was overwhelmed by the American 6-4, 6-1 in the last four and said it was tough to know how to deal with her relentless shot-making.

“I was prepared for her playing an aggressive game, but I think that was the fastest ball I have ever played against in a match,” she said.

“For sure in practices I have hit maybe the same speed, but in matches it’s different because players they don’t want to, you know, take that much risk.

“But it seemed for her that it wasn’t even risky because she was playing it with control. So I am impressed and huge respect to her because she’s playing a great game.” Despite the disappointing defeat, Swiatek showed character on her way to the last four and said she had no regrets from her time at Melbourne Park, where she made her first semi-final outside of the French Open that she won in 2020.

During her run to the Roland Garros title aged just 17 she did not drop a set, but twice came from a set down in Melbourne — against Estonian veteran Kaia Kanepi and Romania’s Sorana Cirstea.

It is the first time in her short career the Pole has won back-to-back matches after losing the first set, proving her fight is just as formidable as her forehand.

She also demonstrated her consistency by making the second week for a sixth consecutive Grand Slam and said the key lesson she took away was that “I don’t have to play perfect tennis to win matches, even on hard courts”.

“That’s my best result on hard court besides winning Adelaide. I mean, I don’t know if winning Adelaide is better than the semi-final of an Australian Open,” she said, referring to the Adelaide title she won last year.

“So that’s positive, because I always wanted to improve on hard courts. “I like the fact that I won against Sorana and Kaia like mentally and physically, and I gave my heart on court, so that’s great.

“I’m pretty happy that I’m able to also play aggressive and be ready on fast surfaces. Maybe I wasn’t today, but usually.” Despite the defeat, Swiatek is projected to move to number four in the world rankings when they are released next week