Another Roger vs Rafa final is still in the mix at an Australian Open with an almost retro vibe.
They're on opposite sides of the draw, and each is a semifinal win away from a classic showdown at Melbourne Park, where Roger Federer is bidding for an 18th major title, and where Rafael Nadal is targeting his 15th. Nadal saved six set points in the second set against one of the best servers in the business on Wednesday, beating third-ranked Milos Raonic 6-4, 7-6 (7), 6-4.
With that, he earned a spot in the semifinals at a Grand Slam for the first time since winning the French Open in 2014. He'll next play 25-year-old Grigor Dimitrov, the only player in the last quartet who has yet to turn 30. Federer and No 4 Stan Wawrinka will contest an all-Swiss semifinal the night before Nadal returns to Rod laver Arena to play Dimitrov. Having three 30-somethings in the semifinals equals the Open era-mark set in 1968 at Roland Garros. There's also three 30-something women in the semifinals. Nadal didn't want to overcomplicate matters and talk about generational things. He didn't want to think too far ahead to a final, or to Baby Fed — as Dimitrov has been dubbed for his similar backhand and style — while he savored his quarterfinal win.
Federer and Nadal, who dominated the sport for so long until the emergence of Novak Djokovic and Andy Murray, know that more than most. Both are returning from extended injury layoffs and showing signs that the time off has worked.
Mirjana faces Serena
When Mirjana lucic-Baroni served out her victory over Karolina Pliskova at the Australian Open on Wednesday, making an unlikely return to the semifinals of a Grand Slam after nearly 18 years, she fell to her knees, placed her forehead on the court and wept.
Few expected her to ever have this chance at a major again. lucic-Baroni, however, never gave up believing in herself.It was a heartfelt scene that touched even Serena Williams, her opponent in the semifinals at Melbourne Park, who started her career at the same time as lucic-Baroni.
"I'm so proud of Mirjana," Williams said after her 6-2, 6-3 victory over ninth-seeded Johanna Konta. "It's so good to see her back out and to see her in the semifinals really just is so inspiring for me.”
Sania-Dodig beat Bopanna-Gabriela
Melbourne: Sania Mirza and Ivan Dodig held their nerves and saved two match points against Rohan Bopanna and Gabriela Dabrowski before pulling off a tense win to seal a place in the mixed doubles semi-finals of the Australian Open, here on Wednesday.
The second seeded Indo-Croatian team of Sania and Dodig felt the heat in the Super Tie-breaker but kept clam and not only saved two match points but also walked away with a 6-4, 3-6 12-10 win in the quarterfinals.
Bopanna and Canadian Gabriela were left to rue missed chances in the 67-minute match.
With this defeat, Bopanna's campaign has ended at the first Grand Slam of the season. He had lost in the men's doubles second round with new parter Pablo Cuevas. Sania had also lost in the women's doubles pre-quarterfinals with Barbora Strycova but is still alive for her overall seventh and fourth mixed doubles Grand Slam title.