Dominic Thiem Shocks Rafael Nadal in Australian Open Quarterfinals
World No. 1 Falls in Dramatic Five-Set Battle
Australian Open 2020
In a stunning upset, fifth seed Dominic Thiem defeated world No. 1 Rafael Nadal in the quarterfinals of the 2020 Australian Open. The thrilling match, which lasted nearly four hours, saw Thiem prevail in four sets 7-6 3 7-6 4 4-6 7-6 6.
Thiem, known for his aggressive style of play, dominated the opening sets with his powerful groundstrokes. Despite Nadal's relentless defense, Thiem broke the Spaniard's serve twice in the first set and once in the second, taking an early lead in the match.
Nadal, however, showed his resilience by fighting back in the third set. He broke Thiem's serve twice to take the set 6-4. The fourth set was also closely contested, but Thiem once again managed to break Nadal's serve in the crucial eighth game, giving him a 3-1 lead in sets.
Nadal refused to go down without a fight. He broke Thiem's serve in the opening game of the fifth set and held on to his serve in the following games to force a tiebreaker. In the tiebreaker, Nadal had a mini-break advantage, but Thiem fought back to win 7-6 and seal the match.
Thiem's victory marks his first Grand Slam semifinal appearance. He will face seventh seed Alexander Zverev for a place in the final. Nadal's loss ends his pursuit of a record-breaking 21st Grand Slam title. It also marks the first time he has lost to Thiem in a Grand Slam match.
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