That’s how Stefanos Tsitsipas feels after coming back from two sets down to stun Rafael Nadal in quarters
Rafael Nadal
Stefanos Tsitsipas said he found “nirvana” on the tennis court as he recovered from two sets down to halt Rafael Nadal’s bid for a record 21st Grand Slam title at the Australian Open on Wednesday.
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Second seed Nadal was on course for a comfortable victory before Greece’s Tsitsipas turned the quarter-final around to prevail 3-6, 2-6, 7-6 (7/4), 6-4, 7-5 in four hours and five minutes.
It was just the second time Nadal had lost when two sets up in a Grand Slam, having previously fallen to Fabio Fognini in the third round of the 2015 US Open.
The fifth seed turned the match on its head after snatching the tiebreak in the third set and clinched the memorable victory with a backhand down the line.
Known as occasionally a hot-headed player, the 22-year-old has made a conscious effort to take a calmer approach, which paid dividends when he was on the brink of elimination against a rampant Nadal.
“I wasn’t thinking about a lot of things,” said Tsitsipas, who hit 49 winners and 17 aces in his second win in eight meetings with Nadal. “How would I describe myself? Nirvana. Just was there...playing, not thinking.”
He added: “I woke up today and I felt really relaxed. I felt things would go my way. I was very serene during the match. Maybe the absence of a crowd kept me like this.” Tsitsipas said celebrating with his father Apostolos and his coaching team at Rod Laver Arena during a state-wide Coronavirus lockdown, was a “special moment”.
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