Postpublished at 12:44 Greenwich Mean Time 17 February 2021
*Nadal 6-3 6-2 6-7 (4-7) 4-6 5-5 Tsitsipas
Well, well, well... Rafael Nadal hammers a seemingly straightforward backhand into the tape.
Three break points.
Summary
Stefanos Tsitsipas beats Rafael Nadal in quarter-final classic
Greek sixth seed Tsitsipas wins 3-6 2-6 7-6 (7-4) 6-4 7-5
Plays Daniil Medvedev in semi-finals after Russian beat compatriot Andrey Rublev
World number one Ashleigh Barty stunned by Karolína Muchova in women's quarter-finals
Jennifer Brady beats fellow American Jessica Pegula
Postpublished at 12:44 Greenwich Mean Time 17 February 2021
Postpublished at 12:43 Greenwich Mean Time 17 February 2021
*Nadal 6-3 6-2 6-7 (4-7) 4-6 5-5 Tsitsipas
A Rafael Nadal backhand floats long and Stefanos Tsitsipas senses an opportunity at 0-30.
But can he take it?
Postpublished at 12:42 Greenwich Mean Time 17 February 2021
Andrew Castle
BBC Sport tennis commentator on BBC Radio 5 Live Sports ExtraNadal is having to dig very deep just to stay in the rallies. What a tremendous effort from Tsitsipas.
Postpublished at 12:41 Greenwich Mean Time 17 February 2021
*Nadal 6-3 6-2 6-7 (4-7) 4-6 5-5 Tsitsipas
Superb from the fifth seed. Shifting his weight to the right to load up a forehand and launching it past Rafael Nadal to hold serve.
Postpublished at 12:40 Greenwich Mean Time 17 February 2021
Nadal 6-3 6-2 6-7 (4-7) 4-6 5-4 Tsitsipas*
Stefanos Tsitsipas is almost just tenderising the strings of Rafael Nadal's racquet with these punchy serves. He powers his way to 40-15 but a slower second serve allows the 20-time Grand Slam champion back into the exchange and he forces the 22-year-old to hook long. 40-30.
Postpublished at 12:38 Greenwich Mean Time 17 February 2021
Nadal 6-3 6-2 6-7 (4-7) 4-6 5-4 Tsitsipas*
Nadal comes sauntering forward and pops a slice right on the toes of Tsitsipas, forcing the tall Greek to awkwardly scoop into the tramlines. He pops down a big serve to get back on track. 30-15.
Postpublished at 12:37 Greenwich Mean Time 17 February 2021
Andrew Castle
BBC Sport tennis commentator on BBC Radio 5 Live Sports ExtraI don't want to pre-empt anything but I always expect Nadal to prevail in situations like this.
Postpublished at 12:37 Greenwich Mean Time 17 February 2021
Nadal 6-3 6-2 6-7 (4-7) 4-6 5-4 Tsitsipas*
So after an enthralling final set, Stefanos Tsitsipas finds himself having to serve to stay in the match.
The fake is sounding as nervous as he looks.
Postpublished at 12:36 Greenwich Mean Time 17 February 2021
Nadal 6-3 6-2 6-7 (4-7) 4-6 5-4 Tsitsipas*
That'll be a relief for Rafael Nadal. He's been forced to dig deep to hold serve so far in this deciding set but rattles his way quickly to 40-0 and then thunders down a Rafa special on the forehand side to hold.
Postpublished at 12:34 Greenwich Mean Time 17 February 2021
*Nadal 6-3 6-2 6-7 (4-7) 4-6 4-4 Tsitsipas
Who'll creak first?
Stefanos Tsitsipas is straight back on the ace train, steaming down a big'un for 30-0 and then sweeping up with a forehand winner that lands right in the postage stamp.
He holds to 15.
Postpublished at 12:30 Greenwich Mean Time 17 February 2021
Nadal 6-3 6-2 6-7 (4-7) 4-6 4-3 Tsitsipas*
Would be some job putting a highlights package together for this one... I hope our man Jonathan Jurejko packed his thesaurus as he warms up that quill looking to squeeze all this brilliance into the match report. Another superb rally is won by Rafael Nadal. This has been magnificent.
A thumping ace and Nadal edges back ahead on serve.
Image source, ReutersPostpublished at 12:27 Greenwich Mean Time 17 February 2021
*Nadal 6-3 6-2 6-7 (4-7) 4-6 3-3 Tsitsipas
Straight out of the middle of the bat. Lovely forehand winner from the Greek that leaves Rafael Nadal stranded in centre court. Nadal cranks up the tempo on his next serve for 30-15.
Postpublished at 12:26 Greenwich Mean Time 17 February 2021
*Nadal 6-3 6-2 6-7 (4-7) 4-6 3-3 Tsitsipas
Phwoar. Four aces on the bounce from Stefanos Tsitsipas and there is no let up for Rafael Nadal.
Image source, ReutersPostpublished at 12:25 Greenwich Mean Time 17 February 2021
Nadal 6-3 6-2 6-7 (4-7) 4-6 3-2 Tsitsipas*
Talking of Tsitsipas' glorious hair. We're all dreaming of coming out lockdown with locks like that, aren't we?! At least that's how I imagine my hopeless scarecrow-like bangs actually appear...
Postpublished at 12:23 Greenwich Mean Time 17 February 2021
Andrew Castle
BBC Sport tennis commentator on BBC Radio 5 Live Sports ExtraTsitsipas is hanging in there. I keep thinking he's going to collapse in one big hairy heap. I wonder if youth is going to save him here.
Postpublished at 12:22 Greenwich Mean Time 17 February 2021
Nadal 6-3 6-2 6-7 (4-7) 4-6 3-2 Tsitsipas*
Anything you can do... Rafael Nadal bursts on to a mid-court ball and wallops it past Stefanos Tsitsipas with a forehand right out the heart of his racquet but the Greek hits back with a wonderful down-the-line winner of his own. Brilliant tussle out on Rod Laver Arena. Nadal holds.
Postpublished at 12:20 Greenwich Mean Time 17 February 2021
*Nadal 6-3 6-2 6-7 (4-7) 4-6 2-2 Tsitsipas
Sublime. Another brutal exchange for both players before Stefanos Tsitsipas changes the angle and guides a forehand winner down the line. 15-30.
Postpublished at 12:19 Greenwich Mean Time 17 February 2021
Andrew Castle
BBC Sport tennis commentator on BBC Radio 5 Live Sports ExtraSomeone will have to wheel out oxygen tanks if they keep having rallies like that.
Postpublished at 12:19 Greenwich Mean Time 17 February 2021
*Nadal 6-3 6-2 6-7 (4-7) 4-6 2-2 Tsitsipas
The grunt o'meter is dialled up a few notches by Rafael Nadal as he has to grind for a 15-0 lead on serve. He rattles down an ace that slides away from Stefanos Tsitsipas for a less energy-sapping point.
Postpublished at 12:18 Greenwich Mean Time 17 February 2021
Andrew Castle
BBC Sport tennis commentator on BBC Radio 5 Live Sports ExtraNadal's body language is not quite there. Tsitsipas is the one with the animation and fire.